BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//pretalx//talks.staging.osgeo.org//foss4g-europe-2025//speaker//JD 3YCT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:CET BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20001029T040000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=10 TZNAME:CET TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20000326T030000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=3 TZNAME:CEST TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:pretalx-foss4g-europe-2025-7SCFJG@talks.staging.osgeo.org DTSTART;TZID=CET:20250716T171000 DTEND;TZID=CET:20250716T171500 DESCRIPTION:Citizen science has emerged as a pivotal paradigm for the gener ation and refinement of digital geographic data\, particularly within regi ons often overlooked by commercial mapping initiatives (Vohland et al.\, 2 021). This is especially critical in areas characterized by rapid urbaniza tion\, humanitarian crises\, or environmental vulnerability\, where up-to- date and accurate spatial information is paramount for effective planning\ , disaster response\, and sustainable development. Within this context\, m apathons\, defined as organized collaborative mapping events\, have gained considerable traction within humanitarian and development communities. Th ese intensive mapping sessions leverage the collective effort of volunteer s to contribute to platforms like OpenStreetMap (OSM)\, a free and open-so urce geographic database of the world (Mooney & Mingini\, 2017). Universit ies\, as hubs of knowledge\, innovation\, and community engagement\, have increasingly become vital centres for the establishment and operation of h umanitarian mapping communities\, often driven by student interest in appl ying geospatial skills to address real-world challenges.\n\nThis paper del ves into the complex landscape of organizing and executing mapathons withi n university settings\, drawing upon empirical observations and practical experiences primarily gathered in Czechia\, with a specific focus on Tomas Bata University (TBU) as a representative example of a regional universit y deeply engaged in community outreach and regional development initiative s. Utilizing the framework of OpenStreetMap and the Humanitarian OpenStree tMap Team (HOT) Tasking Manager – essential tools for humanitarian mappi ng – this research undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the multifacet ed challenges and opportunities inherent in university-based mapathons. Th e methodology combines quantitative analysis of mapping contributions with qualitative assessment through participant feedback collected during mult iple mapathon events at TBU between 2019 and 2024.\n\nThe paper is structu red around several key research questions designed to illuminate the criti cal factors influencing the efficacy and impact of these events. Firstly\, we explore the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations that drive university students to participate in humanitarian mapping activities. Understanding these motivations is crucial for designing effective recruitment and reten tion strategies (Štampach et al.\, 2021). A critical yet understudied cha llenge in sustaining engagement lies in harnessing narrative methods to am plify intrinsic motivations among participants. In this context\, storytel ling seems to be a potentially promising method. Participants are more int erested in the quality of the task completed\, but in addition\, they are inspired to perform and engage in other activities with a similar story th ey can emotionally empathize with. This emotional connection appears to si gnificantly enhance commitment levels and mapping persistence over time.\n \nSecondly\, we examine the inherent limitations and learning curves assoc iated with mapping contributions from both novice and experienced mappers within a mapathon setting. This includes an assessment of data quality\, m apping accuracy\, and the types of errors commonly introduced by mappers w ith varying levels of expertise. Thirdly\, we analyze the factors that enh ance or diminish the attractiveness of individual mapping tasks presented within the HOT Tasking Manager. This encompasses the geographical context of tasks\, the perceived impact of contributions\, and the clarity and sco pe of mapping instructions.\n\nBeyond these human-centric aspects\, the pa per also grapples with technical challenges that can impede the smooth ope ration and effectiveness of university mapathons. One significant constrai nt explored is the limitations imposed by changeset size restrictions for new OSM contributors\, a feature designed to manage data quality but poten tially hindering the productivity of large-scale mapathons. Furthermore\, we rigorously assess the influence of different software interfaces on map per performance and data quality\, comparing the widely used web-based iD editor with the more feature-rich desktop application JOSM (Java OpenStree tMap Editor).\n\nFinally\, the study investigates the impact of the geomet ry and complexity of vectorized objects on mapping efficiency and accuracy . We specifically consider the relative challenges associated with mapping different feature types such as roads (linear)\, buildings (polygonal)\, and land use areas (polygonal)\, and how these geometric characteristics a ffect the overall mapathon workflow. The various elements have different r equirements for accuracy and mappers' experience\, and some objects are ea sier for beginners and vice versa. Appropriate choice of mapping tasks can contribute to better participation and overall efficiency of geographic d ata production.\n\nThe preliminary results of this research strongly indic ate that well-structured mapathon activities\, coupled with robust communi ty engagement strategies\, can substantially augment both the level of stu dent engagement and the overall scope and quality of volunteered geographi c information (VGI). The foundation for these results is also data from th e mapathons already held at Tomas Bata University\, which point to a signi ficant amount of recorded geospatial data. Through the coordinated involve ment of a large number of participants over a period of time\, the mapping has a significant impact on certain humanitarian activities in endangered and unheeded places on Earth. Our analysis indicates that structured univ ersity mapathons can achieve notably higher feature completion rates and l ower error rates compared to ad-hoc mapping efforts\, particularly when in corporating targeted training components.\n\nBy meticulously addressing th e identified challenges and capitalizing on the inherent opportunities wit hin university environments\, we can significantly enhance the contributio n of citizen science to global geospatial data to the benefit of both the mappers themselves and the users of the collected data. This research cont ributes to the growing body of knowledge on participatory mapping methodol ogies while offering practical guidance for university stakeholders seekin g to establish or enhance humanitarian mapping initiatives within their in stitutions. DTSTAMP:20260527T015042Z LOCATION:PA01 (Quarticle) SUMMARY:Challenges and Opportunities in University-Based Humanitarian Mapat hons: Enhancing Citizen Science Contributions to Open Spatial Data - Jakub Trojan\, Tereza Srnečková URL:https://talks.staging.osgeo.org/foss4g-europe-2025/talk/7SCFJG/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR