Semantic GIS: Think First, Click Later.
GIS projects are often chaotic “black boxes,” making them difficult to trust, reproduce, or build upon. semanticGIS provides a clear framework that transforms your geospatial work into a structured and transparent scientific process, from the first question to the final map.
Our Approach: A Method, Not Just a Tool
At the heart of semanticGIS are two core principles that work together to ensure clarity and rigour in your work:
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The Five-Phase Process: We believe every GIS project is a scientific endeavor. Our methodology guides you through five logical phases, ensuring that no critical step is overlooked. This process is the “scientific method” for your project.
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The Design Rationale: This is your project’s non-negotiable “lab notebook” 📓. It’s a living document where you record every assumption, decision, dataset, and process. It is the single source of truth that makes your work completely transparent and defensible.
The Five Phases of a semanticGIS Project
Our framework organizes the entire project lifecycle into five distinct, manageable phases.
1. Project Scoping
This is the foundational phase where you move from a vague idea to a concrete plan. You define your research questions, establish clear objectives, identify your area of interest, and outline the project’s scope and limitations in your Design Rationale.
2. Data Modelling
Before you collect any data, you design your conceptual ontology—the formal “rulebook” that defines the objects, features, and relationships you will be working with. This crucial step ensures your data will be consistent and fit for purpose.
3. Data Sourcing and Preparation
Here, you acquire and prepare your data. Whether you’re conducting fieldwork, downloading existing datasets, or digitizing historical maps, every action is guided by your data model and meticulously documented in your Design Rationale.
4. Geospatial Analysis
This is where you execute your analytical methods to answer your research questions. By linking your analysis directly to the preceding phases, you ensure that your results are grounded in a clear and logical workflow, not just a series of disconnected tool operations.
5. Dissemination and Communication
The final phase involves sharing your work. This includes not only your final maps and reports but the Design Rationale itself. By publishing your process, you empower others to understand, critique, and confidently build upon your findings, fostering a culture of open and reproducible science.
What next ?
The semanticGIS framework is a methodology for improving the rigor and transparency of geospatial research. For a comprehensive guide to its principles and implementation, please consult the framework documentation. To see the framework applied to a real-world problem, we invite you to explore our case studies from different Application domains.