This proposed research area focuses on obtaining
consistent information from inconsistent spatial databases. Users of GIS today
often utilize spatial data from a variety of sources; particularly information
repositories built on top of autonomous data sources. This hold true of
traditional database applications dealing with business, product or personnel
data and specialized ones that deal with spatial data. In the context of mapping applications,
there is a need of using not only in-house but also open-source databases. At
the same time, it is commonly required that such databases support real-time
decision-making. Yet, users may encounter data that are incorrect,
inconsistent, incomplete, or containing conflicting facts. In the timeframe
underlying real-time decision making it may be impossible, infeasible, or too
costly to correct or complete the data and resolve inconsistencies and
conflicts. More importantly it may often be unnecessary to do so, while facts
are inconsistent the information derived from the facts may not differ.
This research challenge
contributes to basic GI Science research and the development of GI
technologies. This is a research priority area due to the fact that users of
GIS will be greatly relying upon distributed databases and information networks
for developing hypotheses and testing theories about space. In order for users
of these data sources to maximize the value of these data, methods must be
created to derive consistent information from these varied sources.
To date, little work has been
done in this research area though it is of multidisciplinary research
importance. GI Science researchers from the fields of geography, geology,
computer science, information science, and management information systems would
greatly benefit from advances under this research agenda. This proposed area is
distinct from the spatial data acquisition and integration, interoperability,
and distributed computing research topics in that it deals with the mechanisms
for managing inconsistencies within a database without requiring there
resolution at the time of data entry. This permits multiple ?pinions?to be
stored and to withhold judgments of authority until all ?pinions?are
considered
Conflict resolution, repairs, and
procedures for obtaining consistent query answers and resolving conflicts
should be examined for a number of query languages and integrity constraint
classes. The goal of this research agenda is to provide a formal framework and
variety of tools to obtain consistent information from multiple data sources.
1) develop
a formal framework for user-defined query-driven conflict detection and
resolution
2) develop
language constructs for formulating conflict resolution strategies
3) examine
how integrity constraints can be used to gauge and improve the consistency and
quality of query answers
4) introduce
and expand upon the use of database repair and consistent query answer in the
domain of spatial data
The potential benefits of
undertaking this research challenge are the development of a framework for
obtaining reliable consistent information from spatial databases. This
framework would provide the basis for query processing and conflict resolution
techniques that could be provided to builders of spatial database applications.
These techniques would also be used to develop a variety of tools for users of
spatial databases. Pursuit of this research challenge would also enhance future
spatial database and GI applications by providing students a theoretical basis
and proven tools for obtaining consistent information from the rapidly
expanding myriad of spatial data sources.
Submitted by:
Douglas Flewelling and Christopher Badurek
Department of Geography
SUNY-Buffalo
Buffalo, NY 14261
dougf@geog.buffalo.edu;
badurek@geog.buffalo.edu
