Statistical Domain Working Group

Overview

The OGC Statistical Data DWG is chartered to identify requirements and use cases of how geospatial and statistical standards can support the integration of geospatial information into the statistical system and for the purposes of broad discovery, analysis, and use.

Project Scope

This DWG addresses technology and policy issues at the intersection of geospatial data and statistical analysis. Primary objectives are to present, refine and focus statistical and geospatial interoperability-related issues to ensure that considerations pertinent to the statistical domain are effectively incorporated into the OGC standards development process.

Background

The statistical domain is undergoing a significant transformation, shifting from the traditional reliance on data collection through surveys, like censuses, to a dynamic model that integrates a diverse array of data from various fields. This evolution aims to make statistical data more timely, accurate, and comprehensible. Geospatial information is becoming increasingly integral to this transformation, by creating a more enriched, contextual, and spatially aware statistical landscape.

However, this convergence of survey, administrative, and big data with geospatial information and earth observations presents complex standardization challenges crucial for producing superior statistical outputs. The Statistical DWG will tackle several specific issues: enhancing data integration through semantic web technologies, leveraging geospatial data to improve data capture and georeferencing, accommodating geospatial objects in traditional database structures, facilitating data exchange despite the lack of interoperability, ensuring data comparability for international analysis, and bridging the knowledge gap between the statistical and geospatial communities regarding applicable tools and standards. Addressing these challenges is vital for advancing the synergy between geospatial and statistical domains.

Activities

The Statistical Domain Working Group (DWG) is set to engage in a series of focused activities aimed at integrating statistical methodologies with OGC standards. These activities include the identification of primary statistical use cases that could be enhanced by OGC standards, pinpointing specific requirements within the statistical domain for potential inclusion in both existing and new OGC standards, and recognizing practice areas within OGC that support or could be shaped by statistical considerations. Additionally, the DWG will work on pinpointing statistics-related use cases and workflows that are suitable for Interoperability Experiments or Testbeds. Another key task is to identify relevant work and standards from other domains that could be beneficially adopted by the statistical community, thereby fostering cross-domain collaboration and the advancement of statistical practices within the framework of OGC standards.