Geospatial data: licensing readiness

Define what a feature represents

Begin with the unit of information. Is each record a physical asset, a survey observation, a route segment or an administrative area? Do not combine these under a single count of locations. A point representing a building entrance means something different from a point placed at the centre of a postcode area.

Describe how features were created: direct survey, digitisation, geocoding, import or calculation. Record the method as unknown if it cannot be established. Keep this note separate from the question of whether your organisation has permission to license the material.

An invented example is a collection of drainage observations associated with inspection locations. Repeated visits to one location are several observations, not several independently surveyed assets. The practical decision is whether the proposed task needs assets, events or both.

Name the coordinate system, not just the file format

Ask the technical owner to record the coordinate reference system, units, axis order and any conversions. A file extension alone is not a sufficient description of historical data. If a conversion was performed, keep the source and conversion details available internally.

The GeoJSON specification, RFC 7946 uses WGS 84 coordinates in decimal degrees and specifies longitude before latitude for positions. That is a precise rule for that format, not a statement that every spreadsheet or older map file follows it.

Our practical recommendation is to have a qualified technical colleague check a known location within the authorised system. Do not publish the test point or private site coordinates in an enquiry. If a discrepancy appears, pause the proposed conversion rather than manually swapping columns until a map looks plausible.

Keep survey date, update date and precision separate

Describe when a feature was observed and when its record was entered or amended. An import performed this month does not establish that the underlying survey is recent. Ask whether edits replace historical values or whether the previous state remains identifiable.

Record the evidence for any accuracy statement. Was the position surveyed, inferred from an address or copied from another layer? Avoid deriving an accuracy claim from the number of decimal places stored. If positional uncertainty has not been assessed, say so.

For changing features, explain what a timestamp means. A route closure, a boundary revision and an asset inspection have different time semantics. Use the data dictionary guide for those definitions rather than hiding them in a delivery note.

Document coverage gaps and source layers

Prepare an internal layer inventory. For each layer, note its broad purpose, area covered, observation period, creation method, responsible team and known restrictions. Record whether the collection combines your own observations with a supplier map, address service or another organisation's boundaries.

Useful coverage questions include:

• Are unsurveyed areas distinguishable from areas where nothing was found?
• Are features missing because they were excluded, deleted or never collected?
• Do neighbouring areas use different collection methods?
• Are boundaries current, historical or merely approximate?
• Can changes be connected to the same feature over time?

Do not describe a blank map area as a confirmed absence. A collection assembled for one operational purpose may have systematic gaps for another. Keep each limitation attached to the relevant layer rather than giving the whole map one unexplained quality label.

Prepare an outline without sharing coordinates

Ask the relevant advisers to review restrictions for every contributing source before offering access. A purchased map, an API subscription and your own survey observations should not be treated as one undifferentiated permission decision. This article does not determine ownership or licensing rights.

Keep precise private locations, access routes, network layouts and any person-linked movement records out of the first description. If even the coverage area is sensitive, use a broader description agreed internally. Read the provenance guide to organise the evidence without exposing it.

A useful first outline states the broad feature type, approximate geographic extent, period, coordinate convention, collection method and known gaps. State whether a history exists or only the latest snapshot. Fairlode accepts descriptions only at this stage: no map layers, screenshots or coordinate extracts. Preparation does not establish demand, a valuation or permission for a transfer.