Geospatial Data Linked in Open Format
In the realm of geospatial data, the Geospatial Preservation Plan serves as a crucial framework for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of data during format transformations. This plan is used as test criteria for tools and processes involved in migrating or converting geospatial data formats.
The primary goal of the Geospatial Preservation Plan is to ensure that key geospatial data attributes and standards remain intact after transformation. It defines these attributes, outlines validation procedures, and provides test cases and metrics to check if software tools or processes preserve spatial features, metadata, coordinate reference systems, and topology during the transformation.
The plan is essential for maintaining the interoperability and long-term usability of geospatial data, which is vital for geographic information systems (GIS) applications. Though explicit search results do not directly name a "Geospatial Preservation Plan," geospatial preservation practices align closely with standards and testing programs run by bodies like the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). These certifications and compliance tests serve as a de facto preservation plan framework by setting objective test criteria that tools must meet to be trusted with geospatial data conversions.
A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system for creating, storing, analyzing, and managing spatial data. Various geospatial formats are used in GIS applications, each with its specific characteristics and properties.
For instance, the ESRI Shapefile, a widely used geospatial format, consists of several files, including the Shapefile (dBASE Table), (Arc/View Index), (Spatial Index), and (Projection). Each of these components has a NARA Format ID and Linked Open Data TTL, as follows:
- ESRI Shapefile (dBASE Table): NF00558, URL
- ESRI Shapefile (Arc/View Index): NF00557, URL
- ESRI Shapefile (Spatial Index): NF00560, URL
- ESRI Shapefile (Projection): NF00559, URL
Other geospatial formats in NARA holdings include the ESRI ArcInfo Interchange (NF00173), the CompeGPS Land Track file (NF00790), the BSB format (NF00636), and the E57 Lidar Point Cloud Format (NF00794). The Linked Open Data TTLs for these formats can be found on the National Archives website.
It's worth noting that NARA makes its Linked Open Data available in Resource Description Framework Terse RDF Triple Language (RDF Turtle) format, which can be opened in any text editor. This accessibility ensures that anyone can verify the data's integrity and compliance with the Geospatial Preservation Plan.
In conclusion, the Geospatial Preservation Plan plays a vital role in validating and certifying geospatial format transformation tools and processes by ensuring compliance with established geospatial standards and applying rigorous test criteria that safeguard the data's spatial accuracy and metadata integrity throughout the transformation workflows.
Data-and-cloud-computing technologies play a significant role in executing and validating the Geospatial Preservation Plan, as they provide the necessary tools and resources for migrating or converting geospatial data formats. The technology ensures that the software tools or processes used in the transformation maintain the spatial features, metadata, coordinate reference systems, and topology of the data, adhering to the defined test criteria and attributes outlined in the Geospatial Preservation Plan.
