Findability : Making Geospatial Data on the Web Mainstream

Abstract:

For too long the fields of GIS and Geoinformatics have been isolated from developments in mainstream information science and in particular the development of standard web protocols for information discovery and access. While concepts such as Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) offered the concept of integrated datasets and services, in practice, different SDI's do not interoperate well, despite considerable emphasis on comprehensive metadata creation. An alternative approach may be the use of developing web technologies which are generally described as following a Linked Data approach. This talk will look at the opportunities linked data technologies in particular the development of simple microdata formats by schema.org offer publishers of geospatial information, with the aim of making such information discoverable and accessible on the web. Berners-Lee’s concept of five star open data will also be discussed as it reaches it’s fifth anniversary, to what extent is the geospatial community a good citizen of the web?