Resource use in manual digitization A case study of the Patuxent basin geographical information system database

Abstract

In the face of limited and declining budgets, the estimation of costs involved in implementing a geographical information system (GIS) deserves attention. One of the major procedures inherent in the use of GIS is the task of digitizing existing maps. This step is not only the first but may also occur at various stages of the implementation. There is, however, a lack of information on the cost of digitizing. This paper identifies the costs of an intensive effort at manual digitizing over a period of eleven months using the ARC/INFO GIS on a Prime 9650 mini-computer. General costs for digitizing one layer of information from a U.S. Geological Survey 1:24 000 quadrangle are derived. Although the results are based on factors which are unique to this study, the author believes that the findings provide useful bases for estimating costs of digitizing.