PhD Dissertation Defense - Geography and Geoinformation Science

Candidate: Kelly Vanderbrink 

PhD of Science in Earth Systems and Geoinformation Sciences  

Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science  

PhD Dissertation Title: Understanding User Preferences for Spatial Information: Monitoring and Assessing Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Mid-Atlantic

PhD Committee:  

Dr. Paul Houser, Dissertation Director  

Dr. Donglian Sun, Committee Member 

Dr. Taylor Anderson, Committee Member  

Dr. Karen Ackerloff, Committee Member  

Abstract: Resource managers who implement and monitor the results of carbon management and land use policies rely on remotely sensed information to inform their work and, in turn, accomplish their goals. To date remotely sensed information and its derivative products are primarily designed and frequently disseminated by the research community with nominal understanding of the end user’s needs, preferences, and constraints. It is hypothesized that this lack of understanding has led to a disconnect between the information that is produced versus what is preferred by resource managers. This study utilized a qualitative approach to understand user preferences and gain insight into the value resource managers place on attributes of information; spatial resolution, temporal frequency, geographic scale, and uncertainty of remotely sensed data. Specifically, this study focused on learning the value resource managers in the mid-Atlantic region place on different data attributes as they relate to land use. Respondents were interviewed using a semi-structured approach to learn what information they use; how the data’s spatial resolution, temporal frequency, and uncertainty impact its use; what data attribute trade-offs they make; and what constraints (e.g., costs, limited technical expertise) they consider when using spatial data. Four major findings highlighted domain-specific preferences for specific attributes.