Development of a quality model and its application in the context of spatial data quality

Abstract

The article emphasizes the meaning of spatial data quality information, mostly because of the common usage of that data in decision making processes. The major recipients of quality information were defined, such as producers, administrators and users. The information meaning is different for each of those groups. The concept of data quality information was presented based on ISO 19157, including the data quality model as an important tool in the quality evaluation process. The quality model was developed to assure the common understanding of the quality in the context of data specification and the quality measurements.
The article also introduces the process of building the quality model and describes its stages: gathering requirements, defining the data quality scope, choosing the quality elements, describing the evaluation requirements and testing the assumptions. Apart from describing that process, challenges related to its implementation were mentioned. These include educating the recipients of the quality information, balancing the costs of the quality evaluation, implementing the quality model in spatial data management systems.
The article is primarily intended for spatial data producers since it deals with production of correct data meeting the user requirements. By applying the quality model the producers can achieve repeatable results of control, comparable results of the quality evaluation and can speed up their reaction to user requirements.
The quality model concept is not new. Related research was a part of the ESDIN project; the quality model for INSPIRE data (i.e. administrative units, transport networks) was created in the frames of that project. Similar research was performed by GUGIK; it was related to creating quality models for selected Polish spatial data sets (i.e. BDOT10k, PRG, EGiB).