Emma Clinton's Portfolio
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What is Open Source GIScience?
Reflection on the readings of the week of 02/26/21 regarding Open Source GIScience.
Open source software refers to software that has available source code and is licensed in a manner which permits reuse, adaptation/modification, and redistribution (either at no cost or for profit) (Rey, 2009). Open source software is often referred to interchangeably as free software. Free is considered to mean accessible, modifiable, and redistributable (Rey, 2009). However, free software is focused more on the freedoms of users, while some open source licenses are seen as infringing on those freedoms, or not strong enough to protect them, according to GNU.org. Free software comes covered by a “copyleft,” meaning that derivatives of free software must also have free licenses and cannot be used to create closed, commercial software. Free software can be thought of as a subset of open-source software that always follows the core freedoms of free software specified by the Free Software Foundation (Rey, 2009).
It is important to note that other forms of gratis software—freeware and shareware—are not the same as free software. Freeware and shareware come at no cost (with shareware distributed on a trial basis, with the implication that users with pay to continue to use the software after their trial has ended), but neither of these forms of software tend to have source code available to users and are therefore not always modifiable (Rey, 2009).
In terms of possible benefits associated with open source GIS, the argument for transparency and reproducibility is a strong one. Research that includes full documentation of the methods (preferably using open-source software) and uses public data could potentially be reproduced or modified by anyone. This means that the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration and use of GIS in other scientific fields could increase and make it possible for third parties to use previously inaccessible methods (Singleton, Spielman, and Brunsdon, 2016)). Open source GIS could also change the nature of scientific review by shifting to a more community-centric review process where methods and results could be reproduced and “checked,” which may lead to even greater confidence in results. This aspect could be key to building public trust with government-funded studies.
Of course, there are some risks involved with using Open Source GIS. The updating of open-source software relied upon by governments or private businesses could leave these entities scrambling to recover projects that no longer work on updated versions of the platforms that they use. Such software also is more vulnerable to those who seek to tamper with it, which may be concerning for governments or private entities using confidential or sensitive data. However, this is also a risk with updates to ArcGIS or similar platforms and one benefit of open source software is that it is often possible to save and distribute older versions of a software platform (Holler, pers. comm.). There is also a steep learning curve in this field (Rey, 2009) and some platforms may be more difficult for the standard employee to use than “blackbox” platforms like ArcGIS.
The concept of Open GIScience fits well within the context of a liberal arts undergraduate education. Community building and collaboration across disciplines are appealing aspects of the growing field of Open Source GIScience, as this kind of diversity and intersectionality is valued and emphasized in liberal arts institutions. Using Open Source GIScience and experiencing the collaborative nature of such work teaches students to be open about their ideas. It also introduces them to the “gift currency” that builds reputation within Open Source communities, shifting the notion of achievement from one of personal gain and ownership towards one of offering assistance and experience to others working towards a common goal.
This kind of collaborative learning at an undergraduate level may be useful in helping students overcome the steep learning curve of Open Source GIS. Of course, the implications for learning and evaluation change somewhat when the classroom takes on the form of an Open Source GIScience community. The focus shifts from individual performance alone to how well an individual works with others and how willing they are to contribute to the group in a positive manner. Effort is still a central component of evaluation, but a focus on guarding one’s “academic secrets” does not mesh well with a community-based learning experience. A model based on “credit where credit is due” where the process of development is well-documented and contributions by team members are given recognition would perhaps work better in this context.
To learn more, the main organization for open source GIS is OSGeo.
Readings:
Rey, S. J. 2009. Show me the code: spatial analysis and open source. Journal of Geographical Systems 11 (2):191–207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10109-009-0086-8
Singleton, A. D., S. Spielman, and C. Brunsdon. 2016. Establishing a framework for Open Geographic Information science. International Journal of Geographical Information Science 30 (8):1507–1521. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13658816.2015.1137579