A framework for measuring the fitness for purpose of OpenStreetMap data based on intrinsic quality indicators

在将其用于不同应用领域的项目之前，通常通过与商业或权威数据进行比较来评估OpenStreetMap数据的质量。然而，这种所谓的外在质量评价存在三个问题。首先，结果不能直接回答OSM数据是否足够好以达到某一目的的问题，因为外在质量指标被设计为衡量质量整体水平的标准。其次，结果可能无法反映OSM数据的真实质量，因为现有的工具（如ISO所描述的）不具有足够的包容性或不适合雄辩地评估OSM数据，因为OSM作为一个VGI项目的性质与地理空间专家迄今为止处理的本质不同。第三，由于相互矛盾的许可限制或高昂的采购成本，往往无法获得参考数据。在这个项目中，我们试图开发一个框架，在不使用参考数据的情况下，以系统的方式提供评估OSM数据适用性的方法和措施。对于这个问题，一个次要目标是系统地定义OSM数据在不同应用领域的不同类型使用的分类，其中包括相关的指示和建议：(i)需要什么样的信息？（ii）质量要求是什么？（iii）哪些质量指标可用于某一应用领域的特定用途？（iv）如何在不使用参考数据的情况下计算质量指标？(v)评估是否符合目的的可信度如何？该框架将作为在城市规划、路由和导航、灾害管理、市场营销、地理编码、地图应用等应用领域的项目中使用OSM数据的过程指南。为了实现这一目标，将基于实践和文献中的现有经验，对OSM的历史数据进行深入研究（OSM- full - history - dump），以分析OSM的性质特征，得出影响OSM数据质量的因素，并对其进行分层和定量分析。在此基础上，调整完善现有的内在质量指标，并引入新的内在质量指标。这个项目的主要贡献是迄今为止最详尽的系统识别和内在和外在质量指标和测量之间的联系到一些应用领域。本项目开发的框架应具有广泛的适用性，或者至少可以在已定义的应用程序域中使用任何类型的VGI数据。此外，如果使用类似的VGI数据，则可以将开发框架的方法部署到其他应用领域。

The quality of OpenStreetMap data is normally evaluated by comparing with commercial or authority data, before it will be used for a project in different application domains. However, there are three problems with this kind of so-called extrinsic quality assessment. Firstly, the results cannot directly answer the question about whether the OSM data is good enough for a certain purpose, because the extrinsic quality indicators are designed as standard to indicate an overall level of the quality. Secondly, the results may not be able to reflect the true quality of OSM data, because the existing tools (as those described by ISO) are not inclusive enough or appropriate to eloquently evaluate OSM data, because the nature of OSM, as a VGI project, is fundamentally different to what geospatial experts have dealt with so far. Thirdly, the reference data is often not available due to contradictory licensing restrictions or high procurement costs. In this project, we attempt to develop a framework that provides in a systematic way the methods and measures to evaluate the fitness for purpose of OSM data, without using reference data. For this issue, one sub-objective is to define systematically a taxonomy for different types of usage of OSM data in different application domains that includes the relevant indications and advises: (i) what kind of information is required? (ii) what is the quality requirements? (iii) which quality indicators can be used for a certain usage in an application domain? (iv) how can the quality indicators be calculated without using reference data? and (v) how credible is the evaluation of the fitness for purpose? The framework is going to serve as procedure guidelines when using OSM data in projects in application domains such as urban planning, routing & navigation, disaster management, marketing, geocoding, map application, etc. To achieve this, an intensive study in the history data of OSM (OSM-Full-History-Dump) will be carried out based on the existing experiences available in practices and literatures, in order to analyse the nature characteristics of OSM, derive the factors which influence OSM data quality, and parse them hierarchically and quantitatively. On this base, existing intrinsic quality indicators will be adjusted and improved, and new intrinsic indicators will be introduced.The main contribution of this project is the so far most exhaustive systematic identification and connection among intrinsic and extrinsic quality indicators and measurements to a number of application domains. The framework developed in this project shall have wide applicability or at least be generalizable for using any kind of VGI data in the defined application domains. Moreover, the method of developing the framework can be deployed for further application domains in case similar VGI data is used.