using google maps to collect spatial responses in a survey environment nick bearman katy appleton...

Using Google Maps to collect spatial responses in a survey environment

Nick BearmanKaty Appleton

GISRUK 2011

Introduction

Using Internet surveys to collect spatial data

Two case studies as examplesSonification Evaluation & Countryside Recreation Survey

Why use Google Maps API?

Problems encountered

Data obtained and related issues

Future improvements

Introduction Case Studies Why Google Maps API?

Coding & Using the Surveys Data Obtained Conclusions

Case Study 1Sonification of Uncertainty in Spatial Data

Sonification of Uncertainty in Spatial Data

Why Sound?

Visual sense can be saturated with information

Sound – easy, cheap, familiar sense

Why Uncertainty?

Often not available or not included

Uncertainty is very important in UKCP09 data

Does sound work effectively to represent uncertainty?




Used Google Maps to:

Show the UKCP09 data (visually & sonically)

Collect responses to see how well visual & sonic methods were understood

“Select areas over 17°C”




Used Google Maps to:

Show the UKCP09 data (visually & sonically)

Collect responses to see how well visual & sonic methods were understood

“Select areas over 17°C”

Evaluations

OS / UKCIP / UEA (n=78)

Small groups (6-8 people) with supervision

Discussion session



Case Study 2Countryside Recreation Survey

Online questionnaire

Preferred location/type of location for a nominated rural recreation activity

HTML, PHP, JavaScript

Multiple-choice and free-text questions

Spatial and non-spatial data written to MySQL database

One map-based question

Point, line or area input

Same map also used to introduce survey



User data entry

Pan/zoom allowed; instructions given

Buttons to start again, delete last point, re-centre

Input can be re-done until survey submitted

Case Study 2Countryside Recreation Survey



Why this Methodology?

Why Online?

Difficult to access target audience

Allow people to do it in their own time

Easily distributed to participants

Why Google Maps API?

Google Maps dominate - all UK sites & top travel siteMost users familiar with it

The API was best documented

Good user community - forums for support

Often clearest mapping (41Latitude Blog – J O’Beirne)



Bing Yahoo

Google

Google Maps Examples

Different Ways of using Google Maps

Displaying Data

Westminster Council

Collecting & Re-displaying

Community Maps

Rate-my-place

Collecting & External Analysis

Very few collecting spatial data of sufficient quality for subsequent analysis



Ellul et al. (2009)

Rosser (2010)

Setting up the Surveys

How did we set these up?

We’re not programmersBut experienced GIS users- e.g. scripting

Lots of examples as a starting point

and Forums

Not overly complex, but took additional time



Using the Surveys

We discovered problems as time passed!

GMAPI changes on a regular basis Minor every 2-4 weeksVersion (3.2 -> 3.3) once a quarterSo need to keep code up to date if you want it to work!

Example – Google Pegman appearing in sonification exampleEasily solved (forums) but a potential problem

GMAPI is a Remote ResourceReliant on external sitesSometimes tiles didn’t load properly – had to refreshNeed Internet connectivity - had to postpone sessions



April 21, 2023

The maps in use

Interaction issues

Essentially the maps worked as desired – eventually!

Unable to extract data values from KML layer

Behaviour of background KML when digitising

Concave polygons problematic:

Handle via complex coding

!



Data ObtainedCountryside Survey

Spatial data were written to an SQL table as lat, long, respondent ID, point # - reconstructed (in ArcGIS) as for GPS data

Points: imported as-is

Lines: Hawth’s Tools > Animal movements

Polygons: ArcScript GPS To Polygon

Point and lines buffered

Vector polygon ‘heat map’ via ArcScript SuperRegionPoly



April 21, 2023



Spatial data were written to an SQL table as lat, long, respondent ID, point # - reconstructed (in ArcGIS) as for GPS data

Points: imported as-is

Lines: Hawth’s Tools > Animal movements

Polygons: ArcScript GPS To Polygon

Point and lines buffered

Vector polygon ‘heat map’ via ArcScript SuperRegionPoly

Problems evident with digitising accuracy



Data ObtainedSonification Survey

XY PointsConvert to UKCP09

Cells



Ideally raster analysisBut rotated pole gird was too complex

Data ObtainedSonification Survey

How much does the saved data represent the user experience?

Did they outline or fill in the area?

How many attempts did they have?

How much time was spent working out the interface, rather than completing the exercise?

Discussion Sessions

Some extra data, but not complete picture

User Interface is important, but not main aim of study



Methodological Issues for Academic Research

Academic work should be reproducible

‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’

The Google Maps API code will change

Minor versions kept for 3 months (v3.2)

Major 3 years (v3)

How do we deal with this?

Possible solutions:

Flowchart of code

Comment code

Video use of the evaluation – sonification

Also shows flow of questionnaire



Conclusions

Two different case studies

Sonification Evaluation & Countryside Recreation Survey

Can use Google Maps API to collect spatial data

Relatively easy to setup, easy for users to use

Lots of help (guides, forums etc.) available to help setup

Unsupervised surveys need careful planning

Error trapping etc. particularly with spatial data

Question mark over use of API – it will change with time

If use of GMAPI is developed and shared, there is potential for it to become a very useful tool for spatial data collection.



Thanks & Questions

QMRG

Quantitative Methods

Research Group

using google maps to collect spatial responses in a survey environment nick bearman katy appleton...

Documents

spatial dataused google

itthe api

spatial responses

nonspatial data

spatial datawhy sound

familiar sensewhy uncertainty

survey submittedcase

sonicallycollect responses