Crowd-Sourcing the National Map: Using Volunteers for Enhanced Data Collection

Please see the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) news item at http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article_pf.asp?ID=3545  for information about of the National Map effort to explore crowd-sourced or volunteered geographic information for updates for selected building and structures. This effort is now expanding to 18 states, including Michigan and Ohio.

Crowd-Sourcing the Nation: Using Volunteers for Enhanced Data Collection
This program, known as The National Map Corps, focuses on encouraging citizens to collect data relating to structures by both adding new features and/or correcting existing data within The National Map database.

http://www.directionsmag.com/pressreleases/crowd-sourcing-the-nation-using-volunteers-for-enhanced-data-collectio/320586

http://spatialnews.geocomm.com/dailynews/2013/apr/02/news3.html

http://blog.gisuser.com/2013/04/02/national-map-corps-to-help-build-the-national-map/

http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/29521/2/

http://www10.giscafe.com/nbc/articles/view_article.php?section=CorpNews&articleid=1176055

http://bit.ly/ZZj2Gq

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article_pf.asp?ID=3545

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3545

The USGS is expanding the involvement of volunteers to enhance data collection about structures for The National Map.

This program, known as The National Map Corps, focuses on encouraging citizens to collect data relating to structures by both adding new features and/or correcting existing data within The National Map database. These structures can include schools, hospitals, post offices, police stations and other important public places.

Collaborative pilot projects in Colorado were recently used to test the concept of crowd-sourcing.
While some familiarity with the area that a volunteer chooses is helpful, one doesn’t have to live near a particular place to contribute. The tools on TNMC website, along with ancillary information available on the Internet, are generally sufficient to edit a distant area.

Becoming a volunteer for TNMC is easy; go to http://nationalmap.gov/TheNationalMapCorps/index.html  to learn more and to sign up as a volunteer.

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NM structure features
https://my.usgs.gov/confluence/download/attachments/155025503/Structure_Def_table.pdf

NM corps pilot projects
http://nationalmap.gov/TheNationalMapCorps/pilot.html

NM corps tools / states available to edit,
https://my.usgs.gov/confluence/display/nationalmapcorps/

User Guide for Contributing Structure Data to the National Map
Version 1.9 (last updated March 28, 2013)
http://navigator.er.usgs.gov/help/vgistructures_userguide.html

Quick Reference Guide for Editing Structures

http://navigator.er.usgs.gov/help/WebHelp/Summary/Summary_of_Contributing_Structures_Data_to_The_National_Map.htm

http://navigator.er.usgs.gov/help/WebHelp/Draft_VGI_QuickReferenceGuide_v2.pdf

David Alvarez