LOCATION INTELLIGENCE DATA PROVENANCE IS ESSENTIAL IN ASCERTAINING CORRECT GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION.
Nowadays, we hear a lot about ‘location intelligence’, but very little about what
T
makes the spatial data intelligent in the first place, i.e., its provenance. When available, this information can be used to determine suitability for purpose and confirm the kind of intelligence that can be reliably determined from the information. he ‘belt and braces’ approach to navigation:
Geospatial data provenance is well understood
‘Never rely on a single positioning source on its own’ and ‘How to get your position
in professional navigation practice, where
very precise and completely wrong’ are two major learning points from my
information accuracy is a real-time and safety-
professional career in the geospatial industry to date.
critical consideration.
The premise of these learning points can be summed up in another learning point from military
As someone who has navigated ships in
intelligence practice: information is not intelligence until it is processed and validated against
confined situations, taught navigation to Master
other information and other sources. When it comes to geospatial information, data provenance
Mariners, worked on precise geodetic projects,
facilitates validation and is vital in order to add user confidence to the process of turning
and prepared geospatial evidence for legal
information into intelligence.
cases, I can assure that informed ownership of the provenance of geospatial data is what
FEATURE
convinces a jury and keeps ships, aircraft and
Gary Delaney Geospatial forensic analyst, Global Position Intelligence (GPI)
and saves on cost. It is what turns information
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SURVEYORS JOURNAL Volume 10, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
human beings safe. It also prevents disputes into location intelligence, including in landbased geographic and geodetic applications.
