Astronomy has long been dominated by professional amateurs, but thanks to the widespread use of the internet and smartphones, geospatial data is everywhere. Directions that were once only available on paper maps are now updated on your phone in real time, not just to account for traffic conditions. .
It is also changing the relationship between science. Crowdsourced scientific data begins with obscure protein folds 15 years ago. Be relevant everywhere.
These developments will continue to be driven by data collection methods.
Credit: Xiao Huang, Emory University
According to the authors, urban planning, transportation and environmental monitoring are “influenced by crowdsourced information with unprecedented real-time visual and community-driven perspectives, often leading to more responsive and adaptive decision-making processes thanks to users.” Generated data.
The same type of data is also informing the commercial sector through better-informed customer-centric product development and marketing strategies. The importance of this change lies in empowering ordinary individuals to contribute and influence fields traditionally dominated by experts and authorities. This democratization has not only diversified the types of data available, but has also provided richer, multifaceted insights into human behavior and environmental change.
But despite these changes, researchers say there is still a need for a comprehensive, comprehensive view that connects diverse data sources, such as social media platforms, with application domains such as public health or remote sensing.
“We aim to bridge this gap and provide a holistic view of the use and potential of crowdsourced geospatial data,” said Professor Xiao Huang of Emory University. “In this study, we conduct a thorough analysis of the current efforts, possibilities and obstacles associated with crowdsourcing geospatial data through two primary perspectives: human observation and Earth observation.”
Earth observation refers to the recording of data by large institutions, such as academic institutions or government agencies, as opposed to human observations from social media, for example. Combining these two perspectives, researchers identified seven specific challenges. Ensure data quality and accuracy. data privacy; training and education of non-professionals; Maintain data collection; Explore legal and ethical issues. And interpret the data. Their paper summarizes the current situation in each area and potential paths forward.
“Crowdsourced geospatial data has an important role and enormous potential in improving human and Earth observation,” Huang said. “This data provided by the general public through a variety of platforms provides high-resolution spatiotemporal observations that traditional methods may miss. This comprehensive review paper highlights the democratization of data collection and its impact on a variety of fields, emphasizing the need to integrate these non-traditional data sources for more comprehensive and nuanced understanding and decision-making.”
Researchers have identified three main future directions: That means leveraging the power of the crowd to expand the reach of geospatial crowdsourcing. From motivation to retention, we pioneer a sustainable crowdsourcing ecosystem. Transform crowdsourced geospatial data into real-world impact.
