BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//pretalx//pretalx.com//sotm-africa-2023//talk//7WWAFF BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:WAT BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20000101T000000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=1 TZNAME:WAT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:pretalx-sotm-africa-2023-7WWAFF@pretalx.com DTSTART;TZID=WAT:20231202T150000 DTEND;TZID=WAT:20231202T152000 DESCRIPTION:OpenStreetMap (OSM) is well-known as a collaborative mapping to ol and a clear illustration of citizen science and crowd-sourced geographi c data. It exists through a decentralized platform. Since its inception in 2004\, it has been open to all individuals around the world enabling all to contribute towards the production\, editing\, and distribution of geosp atial data. The OSM community has been rigorous in terms of technical issu es such as data quality and accuracy. However\, little has been done on th e organizational\; political\; and cultural issues impacting data producti on within the OpenStreetMap community. It has been revealed that the types of features mapped\, and the extent of the mapping are greatly influenced by local cultures\; customs\; and knowledge systems (Haklay\, 2010). The means of interaction and use of geospatial data are affected by the way th ey interpret the world geographically and culturally (Elwood & Leszczynski \, 2018). Having a clear idea of these cultural impacts can be instrumenta l to understand the variety of viewpoints and potential inequalities that may arise in the OSM database. The OSM community is not immune to politica l implications and power dynamism despite its open participatory nature. D ue 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 exclu sion made by specific groups and regions (Girres & Touya\, 2010). The effe ctiveness of the OSM community has been linked to the organizational setup and governance procedures as well as its crowd-sourced mapping initiative . The community manages volunteer contributions through online platforms a nd social networks (Budhathoki & Haythornthwaite\, 2013). OpenStreetMap ha s emerged as a leading example of crowd-sourced mapping. Understanding the cultural\; political\; and organizational factors that influence data gen eration and usage habits within the OSM community is lacking. This researc h proposal seeks to fill the knowledge gap and explore the following issue s 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 difficul t to appreciate a variety of viewpoints\; power relationships\; and the go vernance structure within the OSM community. The objectives of this resear ch are as follows: To examine the cultural factors that influence data pro duction and usage practices in OpenStreetMap\; to analyze the political im plications and power dynamics within the OpenStreetMap community regarding data creation and usage\; and to explore the organizational structures\, processes\, and governance mechanisms that shape data production and usage in OpenStreetmap. In that regard\, the research will be guided by the fol lowing questions: \n• What are the cultural factors that influence data production and usage practices in OSM?\n• What are the political factors that influence data production and usage practices in OSM?\n• What are the organizational factors that influence data production and usage practi ces in OSM?\nThe proposed research would use a mixed-methods approach to t horoughly carry out the project’s objectives. This will require qualitat ive and quantitative techniques. Qualitative techniques will involve: Focu s group discussions and interviewing\; examining online forums and discuss ions\; and case studies. Quantitative technique on the other hand will inv olve: OSM database analysis\; and examining social networks. During the da ta collection process\, informed consent will be sought from all participa nts before data collection commenced. Qualitative data obtained from inter views\, focus group discussions\, and online discussions will be analyzed through thematic analysis. Quantitative data obtained from the analysis of the OSM database and social network analysis will be statistically analyz ed. With the application of the mixed method\, the research aims to provid e a comprehensive insight into the cultural\; political\; and organization al dynamics of data production and usage practices in OpenStreetMap. The r esearch will be significant because of the following reasons: Increasing g rasp of Open mapping initiatives\, assuring the accuracy and quality of th e data\, dealing with poor dynamics and inclusivity\, developing best prac tices\; guidelines\; and policies for data generation\; usage\; and govern ance in crowd-source mapping projects\, promoting participatory mapping an d citizen science. The research as a whole will be beneficial to the crowd -sourced mapping community\, academia\, policymakers\, and practitioners. It will also give an insight into the social dynamics\, problems\, and opp ortunities related to open mapping projects which will ultimately aid the creation of more inclusive\, trustworthy\, and useful spatial data sources . When the research would have concluded its outcomes will add a thorough understanding of the organizational\, political\, and cultural processes i nvolved in the creation and use of data in OSM. These findings can be inte gral to facilitating the establishment of best practices and guidelines fo r improving data quality\, inclusivity\, and other related components to t he crowd-sourced mapping activity. The results from this research may faci litate collaborative mapping initiatives and add to the large convention o n citizen science\, crowd-sourced geospatial data\, and participative deci sion-making in the digital age. It will add a body of knowledge and also s erve as a benchmark for further research-related topics. DTSTAMP:20260721T075859Z LOCATION:Auditorium SUMMARY:CULTURAL\, POLITICAL\, AND ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECTS OF DATA PRODUCTIO N AND USAGE PRACTICES IN OPENSTREETMAP - GIBRIL AHMED LANSANA URL:https://pretalx.com/sotm-africa-2023/talk/7WWAFF/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR