Surprisingly, the development of standards for geographic information can oddly begin with the total absence of any real theory or conceptual basis. This results in the development of just enough "theory on the fly" to produce a standard with little or no technical sustainability or long-term viability. The problem is further complicated by the need for the conceptual and technical integration with other related standards for geographic information. This is further exacerbated by the need to consider the allowances for numerous disciplines that use geographic information as well as the within the pervasive presence of the information technology environment.
|
In standards development, a common practice is to first consider the adoption or adaptation of an existing standard. Developing a standard is usually a last resort, since the time for developing and approving standards is a lengthy process. Standards should be available when needed, so standards development needs to be anticipatory rather than reactive.
|
The role of academics in the standardization of geographic information has been limited to contributions by individuals as experts and members of national delegations. Basic/applied research to the various phases of standardization by academics as a group/organization would be new and welcome contributions to the standardization process. The standards research agenda needs to be established, prioritized, and debated. Research, supporting the establishment of theoretical/conceptual foundations for use in standards development, remains one of the most neglected and needed aspects within the standardization of geographic information.
As research can define the theoretical foundations of standards, research may also influence spatial data infrastructures. Standards constitute one of the four basic components of spatial data. These four common components: standards, technology, data policy, and institutional framework are mutually inclusive and form foundation of spatial data infrastructure.
One viewpoint most commonly associated with standards is that they are just too slow in their availability to be of any use or value. The development, approval, implementation, and deployment phases of standardization can be time consuming individually and collectively. Standards that are ambiguous in their technical specifications can be difficult or nearly impossible to implement and to deploy. International standards rely on the consensus approval of nations, which translates to broad consideration and a lengthy coordination of the national position, while always maintaining the legitimacy of due process.
The global user community for geographic information standards consists of nations, non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations and multi-lateral banks, and international initiatives and programmes, e.g., GSDI and INSPIRE. Major national, regional, global initiatives such as INSPIRE and the GSDI have only identified and endorsed standards and specifications. This only answers the question of what, the question of how various implementations will be deployed among and between the user communities also requires planning, coordination, and cooperation.
Increasingly, the viability of standards is judged from their capacity to support the criterion established by governmental and non-governmental organizations, at the national, regional, and global levels, to achieve the integration and interoperability of geographic information and systems; and within existing and emerging information technology environments. This overall interoperability with generic information technology provides the ability to extend the benefits of geographic information/technology for incorporation within other technologies and applications and from specific user domains to those of mass-market consumers. These are, in large measure, major and common objectives for INSPIRE and the GSDI Consequently, it is why standards deserve the institutional advocacy and strategic support of such organizations.
GIS Standards
GIS standards generally refer to information technology standards and/or spatial data standards. A GIS standard may result from the adoption or adaptation of an information technology standard for GIS applications. The use of the Structured Query Language (SQL) is an example of the adoption of an information technology standard. The modification of the SQL with a GIS extension represents an adaptation of an information technology standard. A GIS standard may also be a spatial data standard. Spatial data standards are standards developed for defining, describing, and processing spatial data. The ISO Metadata standard is an example of spatial data standard and one that is content oriented.
In standards development, a common practice is to first consider the adoption or adaptation of an existing standard. Developing a standard is usually a last resort, since the time for developing and approving standards is a lengthy process. Standards should be available when needed, so standards development needs to be anticipatory rather than reactive. Integrating other standards during the development process ensures the interoperability of these standards, while conformance testing provides confidence in their implementations.
