A Software Process Framework for Guiding the Construction Specification of Geospatial Databases

Abstract

Geospatial databases are in increasing demand for serving a variety of applications and user expectations. The general requirements for building such databases are understood, but technological tools and approaches continue to be developed because of the specific requirements of operating environments. However, in many situations, the implementation of domain-specific databases still presents major challenges. In interdisciplinary research environments where groups work on a common geographical region, several issues arise from the use of diverse sources of geospatial data. Such issues need the input of software specialists, and researchers usually lack the time and/or expertise required to become substantially involved in informatics projects. Groups investigating natural and social processes related to agriculture, ecology or natural resources management need to solve data incompatibilities in order to share and reuse information. Accordingly, this paper presents MP-Geo, a framework for a software process specification for guiding the construction of a specialized geospatial database and its management system. The salient characteristic of the framework is its emphasis on and inclusion of software engineering good practices and standards. The framework emerges from the real needs of academics and students working in the field of agricultural and natural resource management. The framework can be used to build useful geospatial databases in diverse domains.