The National Research Council (NRC) just released a report aimed at guiding a more research-oriented focus for The National Map. The report titled, “A Research Agenda for Geographic Information Science at the United States Geological Survey”, promotes the integration of diverse data from state and local agencies into a consistent national framework.
The National Map is being developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with an aim at a consistent and trusted geospatial framework for the nation. The NRC report was commissioned by the USGS to assess current and future needs of geospatial information for the USGS’s geographic information science objectives.
The NRC study calls for further research into automated integration technologies in order to speed the process of incorporating diverse data sets. The fusion of data at different scale, resolution and quality is a problem that needs to be addressed. The report also suggests more research into user-centered design of Web-map interfaces and re-invention of topographic maps in digital form. Overall the call is to go well beyond the typical map portal.
The full report can be viewed and downloaded online by clicking here.
