Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Research And Theory In Advancing Spatial Data Infrastructure Concepts

Harlan J Onsrud

At a high level, the term “spatial data infrastructure” (SDI) is largely self-explanatory. Yet when applied in practice, the concept is complex and has attracted varying definitions in different institutional, social and national contexts. In many nations the assumption is that an SDI is the geographic information technology component of electronic governance. In these nations there may be a strong focus on government itself actively supplying or at least facilitating the creation and maintenance of each of the above elements in order to achieve government objectives. In other nations, government may consciously take a much more passive role in regard …