Real-time collaborative GIS: A technological review

Abstract Collaborative Geographic Information Systems (CGIS) have become an important research area over the past two decades. This paper provides a critical review of the development of real-time CGIS, which is a branch under Collaborative GIS study. A real-time CGIS system provides a multi-user, real-time collaborative work environment, i.e., what you see is what I see (WYSIWIS), for spatial decision support and problem solving. The research about this kind of system has mainly focused on system architecture and modelling, collaborative awareness, concurrent control, collaborative behaviour modelling and other related key issues. The paper presents a two-stage historic development process of real-time CGIS, summarizes major research progress and representative developments by analysing their key technical issues, and based on the review discusses some research problems that need to be solved and some future research directions.

[1]  M. Roseman,et al.  A usability study of awareness widgets in a shared workspace groupware system , 1996, CSCW '96.

[2]  Songnian Li,et al.  VRML-Based 3D Collaborative GIS: A Design Perspective , 2004, W2GIS.

[3]  Clare Churcher,et al.  Realtime Conferencing in GIS , 1999, Trans. GIS.

[4]  Guoray Cai,et al.  Extending Distributed GIS to Support Geo-Collaborative Crisis Management , 2005, Ann. GIS.

[5]  L. S. Jackson,et al.  Java object-sharing in Habanero , 1998, CACM.

[6]  Charles Marion,et al.  Real-time collaborative scientific WebGL visualization with WebSocket , 2012, Web3D '12.

[7]  Rajeev Sharma,et al.  Enabling collaborative geoinformation access and decision‐making through a natural, multimodal interface , 2005, Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci..

[8]  David Coleman,et al.  Groupware: Technology and Applications , 1995 .

[9]  Xiaolin Lu.  A WEB-GIS Based Urgent Medical Rescue CSCW System for SARS Disease Prevention , 2003, GCC.

[10]  Alan M. MacEachren,et al.  Developing a conceptual framework for visually-enabled geocollaboration , 2004, Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci..

[11]  Alan M. MacEachren,et al.  VISUALLY-ENABLED GEOCOLLABORATION TO SUPPORT DATA EXPLORATION & DECISION-MAKING , 2003 .

[12]  B. Yost,et al.  A multiple view approach to support common ground in distributed and synchronous geo-collaboration , 2005, Coordinated and Multiple Views in Exploratory Visualization (CMV'05).

[13]  Doug A. Bowman,et al.  Supporting Distributed Spatial Collaboration: An Investigation of Navigation and Radar View Techniques , 2006, GeoInformatica.

[14]  Muhammad Atif Butt,et al.  Open source based online map sharing to support real-time collaboration , 2012 .

[15]  Dimitri P. Solomatine,et al.  Development of a web application for water resources based on open source software , 2014, Comput. Geosci..

[16]  Timothy L. Nyerges,et al.  GROUP-BASED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT SITE SELECTION , 1997 .

[17]  Churcher Clare,et al.  Group ARC - a collaborative approach to GIS , 1996 .

[18]  Pedro Antunes,et al.  A Model for Designing Geocollaborative Artifacts and Applications , 2009, CRIWG.

[19]  Clarence A. Ellis,et al.  Concurrency control in groupware systems , 1989, SIGMOD '89.

[20]  Michael F. Goodchild,et al.  Towards Geodesign: Repurposing Cartography and GIS? , 2010 .

[21]  Nancy J. Obermeyer,et al.  The Evolution of Public Participation GIS , 1998 .

[22]  Jörg Roth,et al.  Developing Synchronous Collaborative Applications with TeamComponents , 2000, COOP.

[23]  Kevin Scott Ross.  SQSynC: Spatial Queries in Synchronous Collaboration , 2010 .

[24]  Alice N. O'Connor,et al.  SIEVE: Collaborative Decision-making in an Immersive Online Environment , 2008 .

[25]  Liu Ran.  Research on distributed real-time collaborative cartography system based on GIS , 2005 .

[26]  Songnian Li.  Web mapping/GIS services and applications , 2008 .

[27]  Songnian Li.  Web-Based Collaborative Spatial Decision Support Systems: A Technological Perspective , 2006 .

[28]  John M. Carroll,et al.  CIVIL: support geo-collaboration with information visualization , 2009, GROUP.

[29]  Mary Beth Rosson,et al.  A Role-Based Multiple View Approach to Distributed Geo-Collaboration , 2007, HCI.

[30]  Jianping Wu,et al.  A multistage collaborative 3D GIS to support public participation , 2013, Int. J. Digit. Earth.

[31]  Sidharth Thakur,et al.  Big Board: Teleconferencing Over Maps for Shared Situational Awareness , 2013, Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW).

[32]  Hamish Taylor,et al.  A collaborative analysis tool for visualisation and interaction with spatial data , 2002, Web3D '02.

[33]  Zhang Bin.  Concurrency control strategy for real-time collaborative design based on Internet , 2004 .

[34]  Carl Gutwin,et al.  Workspace Awareness in Real-Time Distributed Groupware: Framework, Widgets, and Evaluation , 1996, BCS HCI.

[35]  Marc P. Armstrong,et al.  Requirements for the Development of GIS-Based Group Decision-Support Systems , 1994, J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci..

[36]  Ryosuke Shibasaki,et al.  Collaborative GIS Environment for Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis Based on Hybrid P2P Network , 2006, Edutainment.

[37]  Piotr Jankowski,et al.  Spatial Group Choice: A SDSS Tool for Collaborative Spatial Decision-Making , 1997, Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci..

[38]  Liu Nan.  Study of CoGIS Based on Feature Collaborative Data Model in Task-Group Management Mechanism , 2005 .

[39]  Hirohide Demura,et al.  Online conference system for collaborative work to make thematic maps , 2008, 2008 8th IEEE International Conference on Computer and Information Technology.

[40]  Miguel Torres Ruiz,et al.  SIGES-PERE: A Collaborative GIS for Radiological Disaster Management , 2005, EGOV.

[41]  Peijun Du,et al.  Research of a synchronized cooperative GIS system based on message , 2010, International Symposium on Digital Earth.

[42]  John M. Carroll,et al.  Supporting collaborative sense-making in emergency management through geo-visualization , 2013, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[43]  Shivanand Balram,et al.  Collaborative geographic information systems , 2006 .

[44]  Carl Steinitz,et al.  A Framework for Geodesign: Changing Geography by Design , 2012 .

[45]  Gu Ning.  Key Techniques of Consistency Maintenance in Real-time Collaboration , 2010 .

[46]  Charles Siegel,et al.  Geocollaboration in Hazard, Risk and Response: Practical Experience with Real-Time Geocollaboration at Québec Civil Security , 2008 .

[47]  Songnian Li,et al.  Architecture Design and Prototyping of a Web-based, Synchronous Collaborative 3D GIS , 2008 .

[48]  Songnian Li,et al.  Reconciling inconsistent perspectives in collaborative GIS using multi-agent method , 2009, 2009 17th International Conference on Geoinformatics.

[49]  Xiaoshan Tan,et al.  Research on the synchronous display of Collaborative Geography Information System , 2010, 2010 The 2nd Conference on Environmental Science and Information Application Technology.

[50]  Manfred Bortenschlager,et al.  Geo-collaboration and P 2 P Geographic Information Systems : Current Developments and Research Challenges , 2006 .

[51]  John M. Carroll,et al.  Designing the Next Generation of Distributed, Geocollaborative Tools , 2005 .

[52]  Jano Moreira de Souza,et al.  SPeCS - a spatial decision support collaborative system for environment design , 2001 .

[53]  John M. Carroll,et al.  Supporting Community Emergency Management Planning through a Geocollaboration Software Architecture , 2007, Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW).

[54]  Songnian Li,et al.  Geo-Social Model: A Conceptual Framework for Real-time Geocollaboration , 2013, Trans. GIS.

[55]  Alan M. MacEachren,et al.  Cartography and GIS: extending collaborative tools to support virtual teams , 2001 .

[56]  Conn V. Copas,et al.  GIS Support for Distributed Group-Work in Regional Planning , 1997, Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci..

[57]  N. Churcher,et al.  Visualisation techniques for collaborative GIS browsers , 1997 .

[58]  Wang Fa-liang.  Study on interoperability in synchronous cooperative GIS based on message queue , 2012 .

[59]  Alan M. MacEachren,et al.  GEOVISUALIZATION TO MEDIATE COLLABORATIVE WORK: Tools To Support Different-Place Knowledge Construction and Decision-Making , 2001 .