A preliminary framework for research in spatial data sharing

Spatial data is information that is defined spatially (in location) by four dimensions (geometry and time) related to the earth (Grooth and McLaughlin, 2003). With the advancement of technology, most decision makers from many disciplines tend to rely on up-to-date accurate and accessible spatial data to support their operational and strategic decisions. The demand to access multi-organization spatial data continue to increase and has pushed the organization to share their spatial data as rarely all these data sets reside within one organization. However, persistent challenges exist in utilizing available spatial data across the multi-organization. This paper provides an analysis of the state of spatial data sharing and examines intricate issues that hinder the utilization of multi-organizations spatial data. Content analysis and cognitive mapping techniques were applied using qualitative software ‘Nvivo8’ to help conceptualized the key issues. A preliminary framework for research in spatial data sharing was derived from these findings and later refined by case studies in three different government departments in Brunei to produce the proposed conceptual framework.