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Success & Scale in a Data-Producing Organization: The Socio-Technical Evolution of OpenStreetMap in Response to Humanitarian Events

Authors:

T. Jennings Anderson,

Mario BarrenecheaAuthors Info & Claims

CHI '15: Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Pages 4113 - 4122

https://doi.org/10.1145/2702123.2702294

Published: 18 April 2015 Publication History

Abstract

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a volunteer-driven, globally distributed organization whose members work to create a common digital map of the world. OSM embraces ideals of open data, and to that end innovates both socially and technically to develop practices and processes for coordinated operation. This paper provides a brief history of OSM and then, through quantitative and qualitative examination of the OSM database and other sites of articulation work, examines organizational growth through the lens of two catastrophes that spurred enormous humanitarian relief responses-the 2010 Haiti Earthquake and the 2013 Typhoon Yolanda. The temporally- and geographically- constrained events scope analysis for what is a rapidly maturing, whole-planet operation. The first disaster identified how OSM could support other organizations responding to the event. However, to achieve this, OSM has had to refine mechanisms of collaboration around map creation, which were tested again in Typhoon Yolanda. The transformation of work between these two events yields insights into the organizational development of large, data-producing online organizations.

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Cited By

Chauhan ASarkar DAgrawaal TSoden R(2024)Value Tensions in OpenStreetMap: Openness, Membership, and Policy in Online CommunitiesProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36869198:CSCW2(1-25)Online publication date: 8-Nov-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3686919
Berkel NPohl H(2024)Collaborating with Bots and Automation on OpenStreetMapACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/366532631:3(1-30)Online publication date: 17-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3665326
Yin YGuo LThebault-Spieker J(2024)Productivity or Equity? Tradeoffs in Volunteer Microtasking in Humanitarian OpenStreetMapProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36373908:CSCW1(1-34)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3637390
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Success & Scale in a Data-Producing Organization: The Socio-Technical Evolution of OpenStreetMap in Response to Humanitarian Events
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Collaborative and social computing
2. Social and professional topics

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Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

CHI '15: Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

April 2015

4290 pages

ISBN:9781450331456

DOI:10.1145/2702123

General Chairs:
Bo Begole
Huawei, USA
,
Jinwoo Kim
Yonsei University, Korea
,
Program Chairs:
Kori Inkpen
Microsoft Research, USA
,
Woontack Woo
KAIST, Korea

Copyright © 2015 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than the author(s) must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected].

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New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 18 April 2015

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US National Science Foundation

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CHI '15: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

April 18 - 23, 2015

Seoul, Republic of Korea

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CHI '15 Paper Acceptance Rate 486 of 2,120 submissions, 23%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 6,199 of 26,314 submissions, 24%

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April 26 - May 1, 2025

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Cited By

Chauhan ASarkar DAgrawaal TSoden R(2024)Value Tensions in OpenStreetMap: Openness, Membership, and Policy in Online CommunitiesProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36869198:CSCW2(1-25)Online publication date: 8-Nov-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3686919
Berkel NPohl H(2024)Collaborating with Bots and Automation on OpenStreetMapACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/366532631:3(1-30)Online publication date: 17-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3665326
Yin YGuo LThebault-Spieker J(2024)Productivity or Equity? Tradeoffs in Volunteer Microtasking in Humanitarian OpenStreetMapProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36373908:CSCW1(1-34)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3637390
Paudel SNorris WSoden R(2024)Aftermath: Infrastructure, Resources, and Organizational Adaptation in the Wake of DisasterProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36372948:CSCW1(1-24)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3637294
Sultana SAkter RSultana ZReza SAhmed SRzeszotarski J(2024)Understanding Environmental Sustainability and Information Practices in Global South Fish FarmingExtended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613905.3650831(1-7)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613905.3650831
Zhang BAnderson JSarkar DSoden R(2024)A Quantitative Approach to Identifying Emergent Editor Roles in Open Street MapProceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613904.3641963(1-14)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613904.3641963
Paudel SSoden R(2023)Reimagining Open Data during Disaster Response: Applying a Feminist Lens to Three Open Data Projects in Post-Earthquake NepalProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/35795197:CSCW1(1-25)Online publication date: 16-Apr-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3579519
Ziegler PChasins S(2023)A Need-Finding Study with Users of Geospatial DataProceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3544548.3581370(1-16)Online publication date: 19-Apr-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3544548.3581370
Choe YTomko MKalantari M(2023)Assessing Mapper Conflict in OpenStreetMap Using the Delphi Survey MethodProceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3544548.3580758(1-17)Online publication date: 19-Apr-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3544548.3580758
Minghini MSarretta ANapolitano M(2022)OpenStreetMap Contribution to Local Data Ecosystems in COVID-19 Times: Experiences and Reflections from the Italian CaseData10.3390/data70400397:4(39)Online publication date: 31-Mar-2022
https://doi.org/10.3390/data7040039
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