Open Community-Based Crowdsourcing Geoportal for Earth Observation Products: A Model Design and Prototype Implementation

Abstract

Over the past few decades, geoportals have been considered as the key technological solutions for easy access to Earth observation (EO) products, and the implementation of spatial data infrastructure (SDI). However, less attention has been paid to developing an efficient model for crowdsourcing EO products through geoportals. To this end, a new model called the “Open Community-Based Crowdsourcing Geoportal for Earth Observation Products” (OCCGEOP) was proposed in this study. The model was developed based on the concepts of volunteered geographic information (VGI) and community-based geoportals using the latest open technological solutions. The key contribution lies in the conceptualization of the frameworks for automated publishing of standard map services such as the Web Map Service (WMS) and the Web Coverage Service (WCS) from heterogeneous EO products prepared by volunteers as well as the communication portion to request voluntary publication of the map services and giving feedback for quality assessment and assurance. To evaluate the feasibility and performance of the proposed model, a prototype implementation was carried out by conducting a pilot study in Iran. The results showed that the OCCGEOP is compatible with the priorities of the new generations of geoportals, having some unique features and promising performance.

The Role of Remote Sensing and Social Research in Monitoring the Environmental Impact of Refugee/Internally Displaced Persons Camps - Foresight Brief No. 032 January 2024

“…Resource management systems as noted by IRP, especially supported with the remote sensing analysis results, can help to better understand the relationship between the environment and human mobility and thus can help to maximize the benefits of natural resources. Tools such as geoportals, considered as a key tool for convenient access to spatial data (Vahidnia and Vahidi, 2021), can significantly improve camp logistics and management. This online solution can provide access to geospatial information and results of the multidisciplinary analysis described in the section above as well as geographic services via the internet, such as displaying, analyzing and editing uploaded spatial data.…”

Actas del XIX Congreso de Tecnologías de la Información Geográfica. TIG al servicio de los ODS Zaragoza, 12 a 14 de septiembre de 2022

“…Permite evaluar el estado de actividad o abandono del proyecto mediante el tiempo que ha pasado desde el año de inicio del proyecto y el último año de actualización Respecto a otras revisiones similares realizadas con anterioridad este trabajo supone una ampliación del enfoque y de las características a analizar, pues ahora se pretende fundamentalmente valorar el grado de convergencia entre la cartografía colaborativa y las infraestructuras de datos espaciales. Para ello, el análisis se enfoca particularmente en las principales características de un modelo de geoportal abierto basado en crowdsourcing, que consiste básicamente en: apoyo en tecnologías de código abierto, disponibilidad de servicios asociados a los estándares OGC, calidad y metadatado de los datos, posibilidad de descarga y reutilización de los datos, subida y control de datos, búsqueda, filtros e interacción con los datos, amigabilidad e interacción dinámica con la página web, e interacción entre usuarios (Vahidnia y Vahidi, 2021).…”

Editorial on the Citizen Science and Geospatial Capacity Building

“…Vahidnia and Vahidi [9] analyzed the spatial data infrastructure (SDI) aspect of geoportals with a focus on public participation, and proposed a model called "Open Community-Based Crowdsourcing Geoportal for Earth Observation Products" (OCCGEOP) particularly for Earth Observation (EO) data. The framework considered the well-known spatial data structures and methodological standards from Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), quality control and engagement mechanisms, facilitating the communication between users for improved interaction and sharing, data search and discovery and relying on open source technologies.…”