This book explains the concept of spatial data quality, a key theory for minimizing the risks of data misuse in a specific decision-making context. Drawing together chapters written by authors who are specialists in their particular field, it provides both the data producer and the data user perspectives on how to evaluate the quality of vector or raster data which are both produced and used. It also covers the key concepts in this field, such as: how to describe the quality of vector or raster data; how to enhance this quality; how to evaluate and document it, using methods such as metadata; how to communicate it to users; and how to relate it with the decision-making process. Also included is a Foreword written by Professor Michael F. Goodchild.

Elements of Spatial Data Quality outlines the need and suggests potential categories for the content of a comprehensive statement of data quality that must be imbedded in the metadata that accompanies the transfer of a digital spatial data file or is available in a separate metadata catalog. Members of the International Cartographic Association's Commission on Spatial Data Quality have identified seven elements of data quality: positional accuracy, attribute accuracy, completeness, logical consistency, lineage, semantic accuracy and temporal information. In the book the authors describe: components of each data quality element, possible metrics that can be used to measure the quality of each criteria, possible testing and rating schemes, and how these parameters might differ from a producer or user point of view. Finally no volume of this nature would be complete without a chapter devoted to necessary future research in this subject area. The chapter points out areas in need of further investigation and speculates about the use and transfer of digital spatial data in tomorrow's electronic world and at developments in presenting specified data quality information in a visualization. This book will be of interest to all of those individuals involved in geographical information systems and spatial data handling.

As research in the geosciences and social sciences becomes increasingly dependent on computers, applications such as geographical information systems are becoming indispensable tools. But the digital representations of phenomena that these systems require are often of poor quality, leading to inaccurate results, uncertainty, error propagation, and

As research in the geosciences and social sciences becomes increasingly dependent on computers, applications such as geographical information systems are becoming indispensable tools. But the digital representations of phenomena that these systems require are often of poor quality, leading to inaccurate results, uncertainty, error propagation, and

This book provides an overview of research in the field of spatial data quality, which looks at understanding, measuring, describing, and communicating information about the imperfections of geographic data used by GIS and other mapping software. It presents results from a number of research projects in this area, from the assessment of data accuracy to legal aspects relating to the quality of geographic information. The international contributors focus on the relationship between the quality of geographic data and the quality of decisions based on such data.

Describes the State-of-the-Art in Spatial Data Mining, Focuses on Data QualitySubstantial progress has been made toward developing effective techniques for spatial information processing in recent years. This science deals with models of reality in a GIS, however, and not with reality itself. Therefore, spatial information processes are often impre

The study and application of spatial information systems have been developed primarily from the use of computers in the geosciences. These systems have the principle functions of capturing, storing, representing, manipulating, and displaying data in 2-D and 3-D worlds. This book approaches its subject from the perspectives of informatics and geography, presenting methods of conceptual modeling developed in computer science that provide valuable aids for resolving spatial problems. This book is an essential textbook for both students and practitioners. It is indispensable for academic geographers, computer scientists, and the GIS professional. Serves as the first comprehensive textbook on the field of Spatial Information Systems (also known as Geographic Information Systems) Contains extensive illustrations Presents numerous detailed examples