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Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 23:26:42 -0700
From: "Virginia R. Hetrick" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: A non-librarian's view of "Corporate" data standards
Sender: "Virginia R. Hetrick" <[log in to unmask]>
 
 
It seems to me like the standards for corporate GIS data should not be
way different from the standards for other forms of corporate data
coming from external sources.
 
For example, in a corporation, folks in marketing frequently get census
and other demographic data from external sources that range from the
Bureau of the Census to local government agencies.  They also probably
buy data from local companies and similar sources.  They also both
obtain and contribute to data for organizations like the local Chamber
of Commerce.
 
The question is how are these data "validated" for lack of a better
term.  The answer probably is that the people obtaining the data on
behalf of the company have some expertise both in the patterns that they
expect to be reflected in the data as well as some understanding of the
reliability of the data based on the reputation of the data provider.
There are certainly statistical methods for evaluating the validity of
these data, not to mention their consistency over time, and space --
this is a maps list, after all.
 
One would hope that NONE of these (or any of the proposed GIS databases)
gets just taken for good without any evaluation/validation!
 
HTH.
 
vh
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