INTERSECT: Data Fit For Purpose

摘要

Understanding the phrase "data fit for purpose" is a giant step in the right direction--the direction of connecting GIS and surveying. It allows professionals in both GIS and surveying to perform to their best while maximizing their joint efforts for clients. So that everyone understands the meaning of this commonly heard phrase, let's attempt to define it. The first person I ever heard use that phase was Brent Jones, survey industry manager for Esri. Brent explained that if the data you are collecting were to be used in a legal or authoritative function, a surveyor would need to do the data collection and documentation. A good example is a boundary survey, as the measurements need to be exact and the final document needs to be signed and professionally sealed by the surveyor. However, if an asset inventory, such as hydrants, needs to be done, it would be perfectly acceptable to have a GIS professional collect and document them. The phrase "data fit for purpose" may have just arrived on the scene, but the concept has been around for decades, probably centries, in the surveyors' world. It seems that "fit for purpose" is determined by accuracy, thereby dictating the methods and equipment used to obtain that accuracy.