Role of Volunteered Geographic Information in Advancing Science, GIScience 2010, Zurich, Switzerland

Geographic data, describing objects and events, have been a fundamental component of scientific experiments and more importantly, in model calibration, verification, and validation for physical sciences. Recent evolutions and advancements in geospatial and cyber technologies, combined with a population that is well informed and interested in global issues such as energy and climate, have cultivated an environment in which scientific research can potentially benefit significantly from the enormous volume of data that can be provided by citizens through their offering of volunteered geographic information (VGI). This workshop brought together leading researchers from the fields of geographic information science to discuss this important topic and to define and describe a set of preliminary research topics for the community to pursue. The workshop was colocated with the GIScience 2010 conference in Zürich, Switzerland.