Developing data catalogue extensions for metadata harvesting in GIS

Abstract

Researchers in geoscience often use several Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to find and access different types of data for research use. The researchers do not always know in which GIS their needed data reside, and therefore might spend considerable amount of time searching for it. A better solution would be a GIS that combines the data in a single, searchable system. In this thesis we examine how a GIS that combines data from external data servers aid researchers in doing research. A GIS prototype with harvesting capabilities for a few commonly used data repositories in the geoscientific field is presented. First, we interview researchers to know about their GIS usage and problems, and assess relevant standards, protocols and technology to use in a GIS prototype. We present the prototype implementation, and demonstrate that it is quicker to use than searching several data repositories. The evaluation of the prototype show that the prototype has potential, but that improvements have to be considered, especially in regard to supporting harvesting from additional types of data repositories.