Opening GIScience: A process-based approach

ABSTRACT

Many scholars have demonstrated growing interest in GIScience in recent years, including use of open data portals, shared code and options for open access publication. These practices have made both research and data more transparent and accessible for a broad audience. This research may be open only in a limited sense for populations without expertise in the technology and methods undergirding these data. Based on two case studies using RStudio’s Shiny web platform, we argue that a process-based approach focusing on how analysis is opened throughout the research process provides a supplementary way to define and reflect upon public facing geographic research. Reflecting upon decisions we made at key points in each case study project, we identify four key tensions inherent to work in open GIScience: standardized vs. flexible tools, expert vs. community-led design, single vs. multiple audiences and established vs. emerging metrics.

KEYWORDS:

• Open source
• public participation GIS
• census data
• internet GIS

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the editor and three anonymous reviewers whose comments spurred helpful improvements in this article. We are also grateful to Dr. Kim Skobba and Dr. Karen Tinsley, who provided assistance in developing the housing application as co-investigators. The Georgia Initiative for Community Housing also provided logistical support for community outreach.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Available at https://comapuga.shinyapps.io/sampledata_flexdash.

2. Available at https://walkerke.shinyapps.io/neighborhood_diversity/.

3. Available at https://comapuga.shinyapps.io/sampledata_flexdash/.

4. Available at https://github.com/jshannon75/HousingSurvey_ShinyFlexdash.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture [2015-68006-22846];