Using OpenStreetMap as a Data Source in Psychology and the Social Sciences

Abstract

Big data are not yet commonly used in psychological research as they are often difficultto access and process. One source of behavioral data containing both spatial andthematic information is OpenStreetMap, a collaborative online project aiming to developa comprehensive world map. Besides spatial and thematic information about buildings,streets, and other geographical features, the collected data also contains informationabout the contribution process itself. Even though such data can be potentially useful forstudying individual judgments and group processes within a natural context, behavioraldata generated in OpenStreetMap have not yet been easily accessible for scholars inpsychology and the social sciences. To overcome this obstacle, we developed a softwarepackage which makes OpenSteetMap data more accessible and allows researchers toextract data sets from the OpenStreetMap database as CSV or JSON files. Furthermore,we show how to select relevant map sections in which contributor activity is high and howto model and predict the behavior of contributors in OpenStreetMap. Moreover, wediscuss opportunities and possible limitations of using behavioral data fromOpenStreetMap as a data source.