Evaluating Internet-based public participation GIS (PPGIS) and volunteered geographic information (VGI) in environmental planning and management

An Internet-based public participation geographic information system (PPGIS) is an affordable and accessible tool for citizens to provide location-based volunteered geographic information (VGI) in environmental planning and management. Based on a conceptual model, this study uses the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis methodology to qualitatively evaluate user, information, and site use of six cases with Internet-based PPGIS. This study reviews each case's website to collect descriptive data for the case analysis. The results of this study show that user numbers do not have a significantly strong relationship with data submission numbers, since active users had the highest number of contributions. The most urgent task of using Internet-based PPGIS to attract citizen scientists is to invite and retain long-term and active contributors, and to change interested users into long-term active contributors.