The Impact of the Contribution Micro-environment on Data Quality: The Case of OSM

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is the most successful example of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI). It is also the most frequently used case study in research that focuses on VGI quality, as it is usually considered a proxy for other VGI projects. The research in this area usually focuses on comparisons with authoritative data, measurements and quality statistics. In other papers, scholars have explored quality frameworks or studied the motivation and engagement of volunteers. This chapter examines OSM quality from a different point of view. The focus here is on examining how the qualitative elements of the micro-environment within OSM, such as data specifications and the OSM editors, have evolved over time. We discuss how their evolution can affect OSM data quality, taking into account a number of different factors and dimensions that directly affect the quality of the contributions.