Higher Education Access to Geospatial Data in Europe

Two recently completed surveys show the state of play regarding access to geospatial data across the European HE community.

Access to core geospatial datasets (topographic digital map data, administrative units, hydrography, geology etc.) is critical for academic research and teaching in almost every discipline. However, it can be difficult to both find and access these types of data. When a researcher looks for access to data for foreign countries, the difficulties are compounded.

EDINA, through its Digimap service, has been providing UK researchers and students with access to key UK geospatial datasets (e.g. Ordnance Survey GB products) for over 10 years. The huge benefits of making access to national datasets easy and affordable have been clearly demonstrated. In particular research and teaching is no longer geographically constrained; it is possible to use real, local data.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that other European countries are not in such a privileged position.

In early 2009, EDINA initiated a small project to better understand the state of play regarding access to geospatial data across the European HE community with a longer term goal of facilitating reciprocal licensing arrangements across the European Community. The project was supported by the Association of Geographic Information Laboratories for Europe (AGILE), EuroGeographics, which represents the National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies (NMCAs) across Europe, and the EU-funded ESDIN project, of which EDINA is a participant.

The project consisted of two surveys.

The first questioned European National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies (NMCAs) about the current supply of geospatial data to the academic community in their own country. Eighteen NMCAs completed the survey.

In the second survey we sought the "other side of the story", i.e. the experiences of academic users in each country. This survey resulted in responses from 169 responses from 22 countries.

Analysis of the results is still ongoing but we can report some of the main findings. (A full report will be published soon).

Fourteen of the NMCAs have special arrangements in place for Higher Education, a higher number than expected. However, for many this arrangement is simply discounted data costs (77%) and/or free samples of data (61%).
Four countries have national agreements in place: Denmark, Norway, Great Britain and Sweden.
Topographical data is provided by most agencies but other data sets are available too, including aerial photography and historical map data.
Most provide data on CD or DVD; five have online services although some also provide data online through a third party.
The key aspects of the licensing terms were surprisingly similar across all the NMCAs e.g. data are not to be passed to third parties, or used for commercial research and restrictions apply to the size of maps which can be published.
The survey of academic users showed, perhaps not surprisingly, that a very large number of respondents (86%) felt that it was important or very important for them to have access to geospatial data from their own country. However, many users had problems getting access to these data.
30% of respondents had problems gaining access to topographic data, 54% were unable to access aerial photography, 42% couldn't access height data and 53% couldn't access hydrographic data. The biggest barriers seem to be data costs and licensing complexities or restrictions.
Fifty percent said it was also important or very important for them to have access to geospatial data for another European country but this was even harder to acquire.

Some countries are now establishing services similar to the EDINA and Mimas geospatial services e.g. Finland, Norway and Sweden. However, progress in other countries is limited, in part, because there is no obvious national body, such as JISC, with which NMCAs can negotiate.

So how does the rest of Europe compare with the UK? While academics and students in GB are better off, the responses show room for improvement in terms of removing some of the licence constraints e.g. for derived data and data sharing, the need for access to other datasets and the desire for new ways of accessing existing data.

For further information, contact Dr David Medyckyj-Scott (d.medyckyj-scott@ed.ac.uk)