Using Google Maps to collect spatial responses in a survey environment Nick Bearman Katy Appleton GISRUK 2011

Introduction Using Internet surveys to collect spatial data Two case studies as examples Sonification Evaluation & Countryside Recreation Survey Why use Google Maps API? Problems encountered Data obtained and related issues Future improvements IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

Case Study 1 Sonification 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? IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

Case Study 1 Sonification of Uncertainty in Spatial Data 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” IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

Case Study 1 Sonification of Uncertainty in Spatial Data 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 IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

Case Study 2 Countryside 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 IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

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 2 Countryside Recreation Survey IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

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 site Most users familiar with it The API was best documented Good user community - forums for support Often clearest mapping (41Latitude Blog – J O’Beirne) IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions 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 IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions Ellul et al. (2009) Rosser (2010)

Setting up the Surveys How did we set these up? We’re not programmers But experienced GIS users - e.g. scripting Lots of examples as a starting point and Forums Not overly complex, but took additional time IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

Using the Surveys We discovered problems as time passed! GMAPI changes on a regular basis Minor every 2-4 weeks Version (3.2 -> 3.3) once a quarter So need to keep code up to date if you want it to work! Example – Google Pegman appearing in sonification example Easily solved (forums) but a potential problem GMAPI is a Remote Resource Reliant on external sites Sometimes tiles didn’t load properly – had to refresh Need Internet connectivity - had to postpone sessions IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

August 29, 2015 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 ! IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

Data Obtained Countryside 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 IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

August 29, 2015 Data Obtained Countryside 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 Problems evident with digitising accuracy IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

Data Obtained Countryside Survey IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

Data Obtained Sonification Survey XY Points Convert to UKCP09 Cells IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions Ideally raster analysis But rotated pole gird was too complex

Data Obtained Sonification 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 IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

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 IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

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. IntroductionCase Studies Why Google Maps API? Coding & Using the Surveys Data ObtainedConclusions

Thanks & Questions QMRG Quantitative Methods Research Group