Communicating river level data and information to stakeholders with different interests: The participative development of an interactive online service

Kit C.J.A. Macleod*, Somayajulu G. Sripada, Antonio A.R. Ioris, Koen Arts, René Van Der Wal

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingPublished conference contribution

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Increasing the effectiveness of how river level data are communicated to a range of stakeholders (individuals, groups and communities) with an interest in river level information is likely to result in greater use of data collected by regulatory agencies. A range of interest groups, like those involved in recreational pursuits such as angling and canoeing, require certain but different information on changes in river levels state to allow effective scheduling of their activities. A range of options have been developed for communicating river level data to different audiences, but those fail to address group heterogeneity and information demands. To a large extent, those problems derive from a lack of understanding of information demanded by river water users, as well as the failure to comprehend how they perceive river level change. We are working with river users who span land managers and farmers, hydropower generators, recreational users e.g. those involved in canoeing and fishing and broader local communities as well as the public authority (SEPA) responsible for hydrological monitoring and provision of this information and cyberinfrastructure in Scotland. Currently, river level data is provided to members of the public through a web site without any formal engagement with river users having taken place. In our research project called wikiRivers, we are working with the suppliers of river level data as well as the users of this data to explore and improve from the user perspective how river level data and information is made available online. We are focusing on the application of natural language generation technology to create textual summaries of river level data tailored for specific interest groups. These tailored textual summaries will be presented among other modes of information presentation (e.g. maps and visualizations) with the aim to increase communication effectiveness. Natural language generation involves developing computational models that use non-linguistic input data to produce natural language as their output. Acquiring accurate correct system knowledge for natural language generation is a key step in developing such an effective computer software system. In this paper we set out the needs for this project based on discussions with the stakeholder who supplies the river level data and current cyberinfrastructure and present a detailed stakeholder identification, engagement and cyberinfrastructure development plan.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationiEMSs 2012 - Managing Resources of a Limited Planet
Subtitle of host publicationProceedings of the 6th Biennial Meeting of the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society
Pages33-40
Number of pages8
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2012
Event6th Biennial Meeting of the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society: Managing Resources of a Limited Planet, iEMSs 2012 - Leipzig, Germany
Duration: 1 Jul 20125 Jul 2012
http://former.iemss.org/sites/iemss2012/proceedings.html (Link to Conference Proceedings)

Conference

Conference6th Biennial Meeting of the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society: Managing Resources of a Limited Planet, iEMSs 2012
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityLeipzig
Period1/07/125/07/12
Internet address

Bibliographical note

Acknolwedgements
The wikiRivers project is part of dot.rural, an initiative funded through the Digital Economy RCUK cross-council programme. The James Hutton Institute is in part funded by the Scottish Government.

Keywords

  • Cyberinfrastructure
  • Hydrology
  • Natural language generation
  • Scotland
  • Water

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Communicating river level data and information to stakeholders with different interests: The participative development of an interactive online service'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this