Geospatial Data Shared Through Linked Open Platforms
In the digital age, preserving geospatial data for future generations is paramount, particularly for organisations like the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Two key strategies in this endeavour are the Digital Preservation Framework and the Geospatial Preservation Plan.
The Digital Preservation Framework, a version of the Preservation Plans on GitHub, is not a comprehensive guide outlining the significant properties of geospatial records, like the Geospatial Preservation Plan. Instead, it represents the current risk assessment, processing capabilities, and tools in use at NARA. The Framework, available as Linked Open Data and in Resource Description Framework Terse RDF Triple Language (RDF Turtle) files, includes various file formats and their variant versions found in NARA holdings. These include Navigational Charts, Geospatial, Digital Design and Vector Graphics, and numerous formats associated with popular GIS software such as ESRI. The file URLs for the Digital Preservation Framework are provided on the NARA website.
On the other hand, the Geospatial Preservation Plan is a strategy or framework designed to ensure long-term access, usability, and integrity of geospatial data. It is focused on preserving geospatial datasets throughout technological changes, including evolving file formats and software. Typical geospatial file formats recommended or acknowledged in NARA’s preservation context include Shapefiles, GeoTIFF, Geospatial PDF, GML, and other XML-based formats.
The Geospatial Preservation Plan serves as test criteria for tools and processes used in format transformations, unlike the Digital Preservation Framework. This ensures that the chosen formats can withstand the test of time and remain accessible and usable.
The importance of these strategies lies in their ability to maintain the integrity of geospatial data, which is foundational for policy-making, environmental management, and various government operations. By advocating for the use of geospatial file formats that can be sustainably preserved digitally, both the Digital Preservation Framework and the Geospatial Preservation Plan enable continued use and interpretation of GIS data over decades or longer.
In a more generic sense, a geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system for creating, storing, analyzing, and managing spatial data. It is a tool for creating interactive queries, analyzing spatial information, and editing data. NARA's Linked Open Data can be opened in any text editor, allowing for easy access and analysis.
By adhering to these strategies, NARA and other organisations can ensure that the valuable geospatial data they hold will continue to be accessible and usable, providing a foundation for informed decision-making and effective governance for years to come.
[1] Geospatial Preservation Plan: https://www.archives.gov/preservation/digital/geospatial/preservation-plan [2] NARA's Digital Preservation Framework: https://github.com/USNARA/digital-preservation-framework [3] Resource Description Framework Terse RDF Triple Language (RDF Turtle): https://www.w3.org/TR/turtle/
Technology plays a crucial role in the Digital Preservation Framework and the Geospatial Preservation Plan, as they both rely on data-and-cloud-computing solutions to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of geospatial data. The Digital Preservation Framework, which is available on GitHub, employs Linked Open Data and Resource Description Framework Terse RDF Triple Language (RDF Turtle) files to provide a comprehensive inventory of file formats found in NARA holdings, while the Geospatial Preservation Plan focuses on testing criteria for tools and processes used in format transformations to maintain the integrity of geospatial data over technological changes.
