Abstract

Data Integration Challenges & Strategies for Advanced GeoAnalytics
Track: Interoperability & Standards
Authors: Robert Pitts

In recent years there has been acceleration in the collection and publishing of digital data about people, places, and phenomena of all kinds. This increased availability of data presents great opportunities for answering new questions and improving understanding of the world by integrating previously disparate datasets such as weather and demographics. However, integrating such diverse data remains a challenge because of the potential disparities in coverage, quality, compatibility, confidentiality, and update frequency, to name a few. Thus, developing strategies for handling such inconsistencies between datasets is critical for those interested in leveraging this data for analytical purposes. This paper discusses approaches to managing these challenges by examining the development of a series of innovative national public data products and applications from the U.S. Census Bureau as a case study.