BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//pretalx//pretalx.com//sotm-africa-2023//speaker//9L7YWS BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Africa/Douala BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20221202T000000 TZNAME:WAT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CULTURAL\, POLITICAL\, AND ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECTS OF DATA PRODUCTI ON AND USAGE PRACTICES IN OPENSTREETMAP - GIBRIL AHMED LANSANA DTSTART;TZID=Africa/Douala:20231202T150000 DTEND;TZID=Africa/Douala:20231202T152000 DTSTAMP:20260812T000020Z UID:pretalx-sotm-africa-2023-7WWAFF@pretalx.com DESCRIPTION:OpenStreetMap (OSM) is well-known as a collaborative mapping t ool and a clear illustration of citizen science and crowd-sourced geograph ic data. It exists through a decentralized platform. Since its inception i n 2004\, it has been open to all individuals around the world enabling all to contribute towards the production\, editing\, and distribution of geos patial data. The OSM community has been rigorous in terms of technical iss ues such as data quality and accuracy. However\, little has been done on t he organizational\; political\; and cultural issues impacting data product ion within the OpenStreetMap community. It has been revealed that the type s of features mapped\, and the extent of the mapping are greatly influence d by local cultures\; customs\; and knowledge systems (Haklay\, 2010). The means of interaction and use of geospatial data are affected by the way t hey interpret the world geographically and culturally (Elwood & Leszczynsk i\, 2018). Having a clear idea of these cultural impacts can be instrument al to understand the variety of viewpoints and potential inequalities that may arise in the OSM database. The OSM community is not immune to politic al implications and power dynamism despite its open participatory nature. Due to its highly inclusive nature\, it is open to debates and differences associated with data representation and territorial restrictions (Mooney & Corcoran\, 2013). Flexibility in power dynamics within the community can alter decision-making and procedures thus affecting the inclusion or excl usion made by specific groups and regions (Girres & Touya\, 2010). The eff ectiveness of the OSM community has been linked to the organizational setu p and governance procedures as well as its crowd-sourced mapping initiativ e. The community manages volunteer contributions through online platforms and social networks (Budhathoki & Haythornthwaite\, 2013). OpenStreetMap h as emerged as a leading example of crowd-sourced mapping. Understanding th e cultural\; political\; and organizational factors that influence data ge neration and usage habits within the OSM community is lacking. This resear ch proposal seeks to fill the knowledge gap and explore the following issu es that will tend to broaden our understanding of the cultural\; political \; and organizational aspects that serve as impediments to data generation and consumption patterns within the OSM community. Thus making it difficu lt to appreciate a variety of viewpoints\; power relationships\; and the g overnance structure within the OSM community. The objectives of this resea rch are as follows: To examine the cultural factors that influence data pr oduction and usage practices in OpenStreetMap\; to analyze the political i mplications and power dynamics within the OpenStreetMap community regardin g data creation and usage\; and to explore the organizational structures\, processes\, and governance mechanisms that shape data production and usag e in OpenStreetmap. In that regard\, the research will be guided by the fo llowing questions: \n• What are the cultural factors that influence data production and usage practices in OSM?\n• What are the political factor s that influence data production and usage practices in OSM?\n• What are the organizational factors that influence data production and usage pract ices in OSM?\nThe proposed research would use a mixed-methods approach to thoroughly carry out the project’s objectives. This will require qualita tive and quantitative techniques. Qualitative techniques will involve: Foc us group discussions and interviewing\; examining online forums and discus sions\; and case studies. Quantitative technique on the other hand will in volve: OSM database analysis\; and examining social networks. During the d ata collection process\, informed consent will be sought from all particip ants before data collection commenced. Qualitative data obtained from inte rviews\, focus group discussions\, and online discussions will be analyzed through thematic analysis. Quantitative data obtained from the analysis o f the OSM database and social network analysis will be statistically analy zed. With the application of the mixed method\, the research aims to provi de a comprehensive insight into the cultural\; political\; and organizatio nal dynamics of data production and usage practices in OpenStreetMap. The research will be significant because of the following reasons: Increasing grasp of Open mapping initiatives\, assuring the accuracy and quality of t he data\, dealing with poor dynamics and inclusivity\, developing best pra ctices\; guidelines\; and policies for data generation\; usage\; and gover nance in crowd-source mapping projects\, promoting participatory mapping a nd citizen science. The research as a whole will be beneficial to the crow d-sourced mapping community\, academia\, policymakers\, and practitioners. It will also give an insight into the social dynamics\, problems\, and op portunities related to open mapping projects which will ultimately aid the creation of more inclusive\, trustworthy\, and useful spatial data source s. When the research would have concluded its outcomes will add a thorough understanding of the organizational\, political\, and cultural processes involved in the creation and use of data in OSM. These findings can be int egral to facilitating the establishment of best practices and guidelines f or improving data quality\, inclusivity\, and other related components to the crowd-sourced mapping activity. The results from this research may fac ilitate collaborative mapping initiatives and add to the large convention on citizen science\, crowd-sourced geospatial data\, and participative dec ision-making in the digital age. It will add a body of knowledge and also serve as a benchmark for further research-related topics. LOCATION:Auditorium URL:https://pretalx.com/sotm-africa-2023/talk/7WWAFF/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR