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Open Geospatial Standards: a practical guide

A short, plain-English guide for anyone who works with location data: what each standard is for, how they fit together, and where to start.

  • OGC, the ISO 19100 series, INSPIRE, the UN-IGIF, FELA and LADM, each in a few lines
  • How they fit together, from national policy to the asset
  • A quick-start checklist you can use this week
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What's inside

Why open standards matter
Data that can be found, trusted and reused, without re-keying or lock-in.
Three tiers that build up
Foundation, core and advanced: start at the bottom and go only as far as you need.
What each standard is for
OGC services and APIs, ISO 19115-1 metadata, ISO 19157-1 data quality, LADM and more.
National and regional frameworks
INSPIRE, the UN-IGIF's nine pathways and FELA, in plain English.
What to put in contracts
Four clauses and one question to ask before you buy.
A starter checklist
Twelve quick checks, with a score that tells you where to start.

Written for

  • GIS managers and analysts
  • Information and data managers
  • Asset managers
  • Surveyors
  • Public-sector programme leads
  • Procurement teams
  • People new to GIS

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This guide is general information, not legal or procurement advice. Standard names and numbers belong to their publishers; always check the current edition with the publisher or your national standards body.