Survey of state and sensitive species databases characteristics and user ratings; which characteristics make online species databases most useful to users?
Focus Area
Wildlife & Ecosystems
Subcommittee
Natural Resources
Status
Archived
Cost
Under $99k
Timeframe
Under 1 year
Research Idea Scope
Survey of DOTs on use of on-line species databases and available GIS data. Which databases are most useful and what are the characteristics that make them useful (resolution and accuracy of data, types of information included, metadata available, ability to find additional information on records, user interface, uncertainty in distributions or sources of information used)
Urgency and Payoff
Many states, agencies, and other groups such as NGOs are producing on-line tools and GIS data in the hopes of streamlining the environmental review process. Some of these tools and datasets are more useful to transportation practitioners than others. Identifying the characteristics that make databases and datasets most useful can guide future evolution of these tools to help with the transportation project review process.
Submitted
06/17/2014