The praxis of community mapping in developing countries

This thesis takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the characteristics, quality and production of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), through examining the emergent method of Community Mapping in developing countries. While a good understanding exists of the nature of the characteristics, quality and production of VGI in developed countries there is little covering developing countries. This thesis reviews the state of the art and theoretical approaches in Geography, Human Factors and Geographic Information Science. Research methods of Human Factors, specifically Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) and geospatial quality assessment are also discussed. Through a mixed methods approach, the characteristics of Community Mapping are examined and contrasted against those in developed countries. Consequently the quality of data produced and its mode of production are examined, enabled through the construction of a CWA to situate and explore constraints of the developing world case. By discussing the results and conclusions of these studies, this thesis provides an agenda for the understanding geospatial data quality in developing countries and, specifically, informal urban areas known by their more colloquial moniker of `slums'. By involving the community in data production and decision making it adheres to the CWA principles and ethics of respectful, user centric design. In assessing the quality of the data produced and the needs of community members around tools we create design guidelines for the development of future tools. Finally, this thesis considers how the characteristics of Community Mapping could and should be considered in the use and reuse of spatial data by its integration into Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI). In conclusion, a conceptual framework for the development of VGI in developing countries is produced, alongside other avenues for further work for the theories, software and communities nurtured as part of this thesis