Quality of Digital Geographic Data and Information

Until DGI became widely used, commanders and staff got information about the area of activity first of all from paper models of landscape, i.e. from maps. International Cartographic Association (ICA) defines a map as (ICA in International Cartographic Association. Retrieved July 2014, from International Cartographic Association: http://icaci.org/mission/, 2014): “A map is a symbolized representation of geographic reality, representing selected features or characteristics, resulting from the creative effort of its author’s execution of choices, and is designed for use when spatial relationships are of primary relevance.” The efficiency of decision-making processes using maps has always been significantly influenced by their quality. Quality prepared and up-to-date maps enable to get detailed information about the area of activity that is necessary for making optimal decisions. For the needs of decision-making processes, there are maps published that correspond to the given needs, e.g. units of integrated rescue systems or armed forces, and they are usually produced by state organizations that guarantee its constant quality and regular updating.