1. Geo-data activities at EDINA Introduction Dr David Medyckyj-Scott Research and Geo-data Services Manager Digimap Project Manager Dr Hugh Buchanan User Support Co-ordinator

2. providing national online services for the UK tertiary education and research community

3. EDINA geo-data strategy content development –core directly referenced UK geography today and past –non-UK core geographies –environmental data for UK responding to users' needs in research and teaching centre of geo-spatial web delivery expertise contribute to development of DNER –finding aids –inter (co)-operating services –development through partnership of teaching resources contribute to ‘joined up geography’ in national context

4. EDINA geo-data services EDINA Digimap UKBORDERS UK Agricultural and Horticultural Censuses

5. Future developments - content Aerial photography –Cities Revealed data from GeoInformation Group OS Historical County Series maps –raster images from OS/Landmark Information Group CHEST OS sample data sets

6. Future developments - projects E-Lib Digimap.Plus project –survey of digital map data needs –changing landscape A geo-data browser for the UK HE community (JISC 5/99 funded) –scoping study into the requirements of a geo-data portal and Z39.50 compliant geo-data browser Geo-crosswalk (JISC 5/99 funded) –a feasibility study into a British and Irish Gazetteer service MapScholar - Digimap New Tools (JISC 5/99 funded) –enhancing the DNER for learning and teaching –case studies, learning tools, ‘virtual placements’

7. What is geo-spatial data? data which has a direct reference to its position on the surface of the earth either latitude / longitude or grid coordinates or ….. data is often textual Spatial reference Attributes

8. Visualising geo-spatial data spatial references can be used to draw a map from data

9. Digimap Digimap is a JISC-funded, web-based mapping service created & hosted by EDINA with support & training jointly with MIMAS access to Ordnance Survey map data via easy-to-use, map- based interface: –creating maps on-screen –printing high quality maps –downloading map data

10. Teaching and learning use Geo-spatial issues –maps in use in all disciplines –mapping capability becoming more available in mainstream office software (e.g. Microsoft Excel, MapPoint) –specialist software General issues –Web and IT skills –student-centred tool

11. Java Applet + Digimap Carto customisable high quality mapping / printing meets needs of 40% of users for skilled users User Community OS Data Simple Browsers Digimap server (main) Digimap service view / print fixed-scale maps used by 100% of users meets needs of 60% of users for novice users / low support costs data extraction - for GIS users (25% of users )

12. Land-Line.Plus ® 1:10,000 - 1:1,250 30% of national coverage Land-Form PANORAMA ™ 1:50,000 national coverage contours and DTM Meridian ™ 1:50,000 national coverage Strategi ® 1:250,000 national coverage Annual Updates 1: 50,000 Place-names Gazetteer - 250,000 place-names OS data available through Digimap

13. © Crown copyright. Ordnance Survey How we have made the data usable...

14. Digimap usage since January 2000 simple mapping and data download service is available to all registered users. Advanced mapping service (Carto), is available only to Site Representatives at present. 49 institutions subscribing 2,700 registered users 130,000 on-screen maps 17,000 printable GIF maps 9,000 EPS files for high quality printing 41,000 tiles of data downloaded 80+ help desk calls per month

15. by category by subject Natural Environment 18% Arts and Humanities 7% Economic and Social Sciences 21% Medical 2% Other 2% Biotechnology and Biological Sciences 2% Engineering and Physical Sciences 26% Information Services 22% 80% of users are non- Geographers! Users of Digimap staff 38% postgraduate 28% undergraduate 34%

16. ArchaeologyLocation modelling of Bronze Age settlements ArchitectureModel making and urban planning AstronomyAssessing topography for telescope location Biological Science Vegetation ecology Civil EngineeringLocating hydrogen plant for fueling buses Computer ScienceResearch into graphics and visualisation Earth SciencesTectonics and landscape evolution EconomicsShopping vitality study ElectronicsTeaching position location using mobile radio GeographyLinking weather station and road accident data HistoryThe feeding of Cromwell’s New Model Army LawAnalysis of police recorded crime MathematicsModelling rainfall with topographical variables MedicinePollution monitoring for Public Health Sciences PharmacologyStudy of health inequalities PlanningBrown-field site regeneration study ZoologyMapping of water vole distributions Some uses of OS data by Digimap users…

17. Case studies on teaching use Case study 1 –GIS for the Environment module –final year undergraduates –outputs: layouts, thematic map and GIS analysis exercise –Digimap used as data source Case study 2 –Master's degree in History and Archaeology –data used for terrain analysis, cost surfaces, feature extraction

18. Case studies on teaching use Case study 3 –Ordnance Survey mapping project: objectives –learn about the OS in general (i.e. its goals, activities, products, customers) through web site and literature through use of the Digimap service to access OS products via computer. –1st year undergraduate exercise Case study 4 –Year 2 undergraduate course, Geology –maps and remote sensing –surface visualisation using Digital Terrain Models

19. Support issues supporting distributed and heterogeneous users –user self-help –service documentation –support from institutional staff end-user training –available through Site Representatives –EDINA not resourced to run end-user training –subject centre orientation / awareness ??

20. Data development Ordnance Survey data Meridian product being re-launched in January 2001 –improved specification –annual update cycle OS sample data –currently available to academia through separate CHEST deal –wide range of products, small number of tiles –low-subscription access to this data only 1:50,000 raster ADDRESS-POINT OSCAR Boundary-Line

21. Data development - changing landscape Ordnance Survey County Series raster images from OS/Landmark Information Group (tiff, 300-dpi) maps in five epochs [1843- 1893, 1891-1912,1904-1939, 1919-1943, 1945 (superseded)] available at scales of 1:2500 and 1:10,560, from the First Series through to the Fourth based on Cassini Projections Digimap Project has maps of Newcastle and Edinburgh initially a stand alone web application, subsequently (March 2001) through EDINA Digimap

22. Data development aerial photography ‘Cities Revealed’ data from GeoInformation Group covers major GB cities (19,000 km²) full colour imagery, 25 cm resolution, photoscale 1:7,000 - 1:18,000 Digimap has data for Glasgow, Newcastle and Reading view imagery and create hardcopy prints for incorporation within research projects and non-commercial reports. download it for use in a digital format within a GIS or mapping tool. initially stand alone web application, subsequently (March 2001) through EDINA Digimap clients © The GeoInformation Group, Cities Revealed

23. Large scale OS map superimposed on air photo

24. UKBORDERS online database of UK digital boundary data data from 1840 to present census, postal, electoral, administrative data data downloading interface

25. Using UKBORDERS define area define type of boundary define time period select datasets that match criteria download data in various formats

26. UKBORDERS in teaching from recent HUSAT survey of UKBorders –about 48% of users carry out teaching –about half of these use UKBORDERS in teaching –average class size 57 –teaching objectives (n=24) integration of geographic with other data (62%) analysis of data (50%) principles of data downloading (46%) –study style working alone (46%) work in class (37%) work in teams (21%)

27. Integrating UKBORDERS data with Digimap This work is based on data provided with the support of the ESRC and JISC and uses boundary material which is copyright of the Crown and the ED-LINE Consortium. © Crown Copyright Ordnance Survey. An EDINA Digimap / JISC supplied service.

28. Contacts EDINA Director: Peter Burnhill Email: p.burnhill@ed.ac.uk Research and Geo-Data Services Manager: Dr David Medyckyj-Scott Email: d.j.medyckyj-scott@ed.ac.uk User support co-ordinator: Dr Hugh Buchanan Email: hugh.buchanan@ed.ac.uk EDINA web site: http://edina.ac.uk Tel.: +44 (0)131 650 3302 Fax: +44 (0)131 650 3308