The OSCAR project achieves a novel solution to the problem of building generic, open source land administration software that can be reused across jurisdictions and maintained by a community of users and developers. The approach implements a three part architecture that separates a spatio-temporal data storage model, a semantic model incorporating machine processable understanding under the Semantic Web paradigm, and a process based model of workflow definition and management. The project goal is to develop software that is easily deployable, maintainable, adaptable and evolvable in support of land administration and other official record keeping activities. The software must accommodate wide variation in the concerns, practices, customs and culture associated with land and its management – none the least of which is the variety in languages spoken and practices associated with culture.
Resources and links
Find out more about the OSCAR project at http://source.otago.ac.nz/oscar
Selected publications and outcomes
Hay, G. C. & Hall, G. B. (2011), 'Implementing Open Source Software for Land Administration Processes in Developing Nations' 'FIG Working Week 2011 - Bridging the Gap between Cultures', Marrakech, Morocco.
Hay, G. C. & Hall, G. B. (2010), 'A Semantic Web Approach to Application Configuration in the Land Administration Domain' 'FIG Congress 2010 Facing the Challenges – Building the Capacity', Sydney, Australia.
Hall, G. B. & Hay, G. C. (2010), The OSCAR Project, in D. Steudler, ed.,'Open Source Software for the Cadastre – Opportunities and Risks', International Federation of Surveyors (FIG).
Hay, G. C. & Hall, G. B. (2009), 'Architecture for an Open Source Land Administration Application' 'FIG Working Week, Eilat, Israel, May 3-8', International Federation of Surveyors (FIG).
Hay, G. C., Hall, G. B., Leahy, M. G., Goodwin, D. P., McKinnon, D. & Pieper, G. (2008), An open source software solution for land records management in developing nations, in 'GeoCart2008 and 20th Annual SIRC Colloqium'.