Quality assurance
Quality Assurance tools help lead to better quality of OSM data. Often, the tools achieve this by providing a list of bugs in the data, which mappers can then go and fix using editing tools. The bugs are either automatically detected based on rules and data analysis, or the tools provide a means of manually reporting them, or some combination of the two. There are many different ideas for how to do this, and what kind of bugs to focus on, hence many different tools.
Openstreetmap is often more up-to-date and of a higher quality than other commercial maps when dealing with New and Changed Ways.
Bug reporting tools
These are tools that try to highlight and point out parts of the data that are likely wrong. There are also reports from manual quality checks by humans. In both cases, the reported issues may contain false positives and, when editing, care should be taken to ensure their accuracy. However, they can provide a very valuable visualisation of which areas need attention and can help spot and correct errors.
Notes
Notes is a feature of the OpenStreetMap website. Error reports can be added by using the 'Add a note' button in the lower right corner. Notes uses the same concept as OpenStreetBugs. It is anticipated that OpenStreetBugs will be phased out and superseded by Notes.
Openstreetbugs
At OpenStreetBugs (OSB), you can mark and describe bugs on a map without authentication. These reports can be processed by map editors. OSB Reports contains OSB GPX and HTML files and statistics.
MapDust
MapDust is a bug tool operated by skobbler, which is also integrated into their turn-by-turn navigation solution, thus originally focusing on navigation-relevant bugs but now serving as a general bug tool. As many of its users may not be aware of OpenStreetMap at all, there are also quite a few non-relevant error reports included, but it does contain many good reports that are not covered by other tools. Currently it is available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Romanian.
Error detection tools
Error Detecting Tools check the OSM data for potential data errors, inaccuracy or sparsely mapped places. Users should check if these structures are really wrong and correct the data for a continuously rising data quality.
Keep Right
Keep Right (keepright.at) shows errors on a map or in list form. It has a system for reporting false positives and for labeling a bug as fixed. It has rules to automatically detect the following error types: non-closed areas, dead-ended one-ways, almost junctions, deprecated tags, missing tags, bridges/tunnels without layer (careful - not always an error), motorways without ref, places of worship without religion, POIs without name, ways without nodes, floating islands, un-tagged railway crossings, wrongly-used railway crossing tag, objects with FIXME tags, and relations without type. Keep Right shows tens of thousands of errors, including many that have little impact (e.g. a stream intersecting a highway: technically a bridge is needed here, but existing renders assume the stream is in a culvert). There is a documentation on how to solve keep-right-errors, currently only in German language: DE:Keep Right Users Guide
Osmose
Osmose [1] Osmose is a tool similar to Keep Right.
Currently, it covers :
- France (the metropolitan area, including Corsica), and its overseas (all 5 DOM's, the smaller COM's, and New Caledonia) ;
- some nearby countries in Europe : Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland ;
- some nearby countries in Africa (50% of continent) and Indian Ocean ;
- Quebec ;
- Haiti.
Two analyses are covering the planet in two cases:
- a cache of OpenStreetBugs errors
- administrative boundaries not closed
===Duplicate Nodes===
The Duplicate nodes map ([2]) is a tool written by Matt to show all duplicate nodes, i.e. nodes with identical coordinates, on a slippy map. These are particularly prevalent in U.S. TIGER data, and so the map gives a good indication of TIGER fixup progress. There is more information about the tool, and how to fix duplicate nodes on the about page.
Not working. sletuffe 13:59, 30 October 2012 (UTC)
JOSM Validator
JOSM/Validator. A feature of JOSM that checks data loaded into the editor, highlights errors and warnings, and can (on request) perform some automatic fixes.
The Gary68 tools
Gary68 has created a whole bunch of quality assurance tools: Source code: [3]
- WayCheck is a program which checks the OSM data (file) for open ends and crossings. The found positions must be evaluated by a user and he or she can correct the data in JOSM or Potlatch or post a mark in Openstreetbugs. The Waycheck page lists reports generated by the program and any user is encouraged to run reports and correct errors listed on the page and its links. This is especially useful for the quality of routing related data.
- MotorwayCheck lists problems related to highway=motorway. Page also shows reports.
- osmdiff is a program which compares two osm files and documents the changes in list and map form<!-I hope that's what "writing and drawing" meant-->. Some reports can be seen here: osmdiff reports.
- unmappedplaces finds a list of potentially unmapped places. These are reported on the wiki page (or Unkartografiert page for German places) The query can be run for other countries as well.
- Mapping Quality is the successor of unmappedplaces. See the wiki page for the results. You get automatic street directory, KPIs (numbers) per place, maps that show status and CSV files for further processing.
- SomeChecks performs some checks: One-way check, Roundabout check, Double-node check (ways), Area Check.
- Relation Diff - Differences in relations
Coastline Error Checker
Coastline error checker ([4]) shows holes and other problems in coastlines.
OSM Inspector
OSM Inspector ([5]) has several views for specific mapping needs.
NoName Map
NoName map ([6]) - Map showing streets with no names updated using minutely diffs.
TIGER Edited Map
TIGER Edited Map ([7]) - Map showing which areas of the U.S. have been edited since the TIGER import.
Coarse Highway
Ragged highways with few points (blog entry): Coarse Highways.
OS Locator Musical Chairs
OS Locator Musical Chairs ([8]) attempts to intelligently match OSM streets in GB against the OS Locator streetname database and show a browsable interface of the results.
Map of Turn Restrictions
map.comlu.com shows turn restrictions and has separate overlays for errors and warnings showing potential problems with turn restrictions.
Also see Relation:restriction#Tools for more tools.
US Interstate refs
US interstate refs List of ref numbers and corresponding OSM interstates.
layers.openstreetmap.fr
FR:Servers/layers.openstreetmap.fr provides a slippy map with image layers to help people find possible errors in the data with worldwide coverage.
The service provides layers with roads/street
- having no name
- no ref
- no one-way
- drawing fixmes and notes texts.
This tool also generate half-transparent colored layers showing administrative areas by admin_level, as well as other "political" areas (used in France for mapping electoral subdivisions, as well as intercommunal structures of cooperation that do not fit the hierarchy of admin levels, but used as well in other countries for similar non hierarchical administrative, judiciary and electoral boundaries). These colored layers allow searching easily for missing/broken/incomplete/unclosed boundaries as well as overlapping/duplicate boundaries of the same type, or boundaries that are not tagged correctly to be found by querying the OSM database with simple filters (for example missing tag "boundary=administrative", missing or incorrect value in "admin_level=*").
Broken polygons
[9] - Polygons which present a problem for Nominatim. These ‘broken’ polygons could be where the interior of a multipolygon is disconnected or, where a polygon intersects itself.
housenumbervalidator
housenumbervalidator checks addr:* attributes for duplicate addresses, incomplete addresses, and possibly incorrect street names. Results are displayed on a slippy map. Currently validation is performed for Germany and Austria only, as there are some language-specific checks.
Other similar address tools:
- OSMAddressCorrector Shows invalid or uncomplete Addresses
- Unvollständige Adressen Shows uncomplete Addresses "live" via Overpass API
- OSMI address layer
- Also see: #NoName Map.
Maproulette aka Remap-a-Tron
Remap-a-Tron service, blog post and github - A customizable web application to crowd-source the fixing of specific mapping errors by randomly displaying an item in need of fixing. Originally designed to highlight areas with ways deleted due to the license change, it is now expanding into a general front end for fixing identifiable problems. This service is also known as MapRoulette or maproulette.org.
So that is what inaccessible road is!
So that is what inaccessible road is! - displays the road segments, which for various reasons are inaccessible (they are also called "not route-able parts of the road network") on a map and allows editing in JOSM or Potlatch.
Routino error log
Routino a router for OSM data can generate an error log file (when run with the --errorlog option) that lists problems found that could be data errors or Routino's limited understanding of the data and which may affect the ability to calculate valid routes. Since the purpose of the Routino error log is to find data that causes problems for Routino it does not mean that all reported items are data errors.
Visualization tools
ITO Map
ITO Map [10] is a map overlay service from ITO. The layers cover different data types: Barriers, Buildings and addresses, Car parks, Electricity distribution, Fixme, Former railways, Layers, Metro, Navigable waterways, Railways, Schools, Speed limits km/h, Speed limits mph, Tracktype, Unknown roads, Water.
Monitoring Tools
In addition to the above error and bug reporting tools, there are a number of tools that allow you to spot erroneous changes and edits. For example if you are very familiar with an area and have thoroughly mapped it, you might want to follow all changes and verify that no unintended damage or vandalism happens in the area.
See also:
osm.org
API v0.6 introduced the concept of changeset. This is a group of edits made by particular user, with a comment. Some new displays have been developed for the web front end:
- 'Recent Changes' display showing any recently closed changesets across the map
- 'history' tab showing recently closed changesets which overlap with a particular bounding box
- 'User edits' display showing recently closed changesets by a particular user.
OpenStreetMap Watch List
OWL (OpenStreetMap Watch List) - Watch what is happening in OSM in a special area.
ITO world OSM Mapper
OSM Mapper - osmmapper is a tool (free sign up required) to let you see when an area has been mapped the last time. You can define a region you want to watch and subscribe to the related RSS-feed.
Real-time change following
- Currently nearly the same: List of OSM based Services#Live/real-time edits to OSM data
- LiveEditMapViewerJ is a java program that allows you to follow changes as they happen on a world map.
- OSMZmiany is based on LiveMapViewerJ but has some additional features.
- Khtmlib - khtml.org ticker allows you to follow changes in realtime on a slippy map and get additional data about them.
- achavi - Augmented Change Viewer: visualizes updates to OpenStreetMap based on minutely Augmented_Diffs provided by Overpass API
History Browser
- History Browser with diff tool.
History Viewer
- OSM History Viewer shows changesets in a visual way, highlighting object positions before and after a given changeset, and also highlighting modified objects that were not moved.
OSM Aware
- OSM Aware feeds OSM changes as KML files.
Historical Coverage
- Historical Coverage service creates animations of the historical development in a specific area. (service no longer active)
UserActivity
- UserActivity Statistics and maps of user activity in two osm files. Possibly detect vandalism... Reports (for Germany) generated periodically.
WhoDidIt
- WhoDidIt: OpenStreetMap Changeset Analyzer Analyzes what was changed in your area. You are able to get informed by RSS about new changes.
- alternative implementation with a speed-up in queries: http://simon04.dev.openstreetmap.org/whodidit/
RSS History Filter
- RSS History Filter filters out large changesets from RSS feeds generated from the OpenStreetMap history tab.
Migurski's Changepipes
- Migurski's Changepipes which also gives you RSS feeds of changes for an area (after manual signup via email).
Assistant tools
Traffic Sign Tool
Traffic Sign Tool - Assistant to get the right tags for German road signs.
QualityStreetMap
QualityStreetMap ([11]) is a large grid for coordinating mapping work. You can select a tile and mark it complete for a specific tag. The grid covers the whole world and any tag. To edit the grid you have to log in with your OSM account. Zoom in to see the grid (min zoom level 12). The service is in beta.
MaxSpeed-Karte
DE:MaxSpeed Karte ([12]) - Map showing streets tagged with maxspeed.
NavDebugMap - Slippy map showing maxspeed, turn restrictions and other routing properties.
Road lists
In Germany we requested different official lists: Straßenverzeichnis.
CheckTheMonuments
Check The Monuments! More Quality for the Key Monument.
Tag statistics
To compare the use of a tag or to see typos, use these statistical tools. See also: Stats.
Taginfo
Taginfo is a system for finding and aggregating information about OSM tags and making it browsable and searchable.
TagWatch
TagWatch - Browse tag statistics
Tagstat
Tagstat - Search for tags and their use.
ITO Map
ITO Map ([13]) is a map overlay service from ITO. It runs scripts that highlight specifics tags which shows how consistent, or not, use of that tag is. It displays groups of related tags simultaneously.
More...
- File:Osm-planet-1.jpg - Picture of OSM coverage.
- TIGER fixup/250 cities#Maps - A coordinated push to fix some basic routing problems in the U.S.
- OSM QA App - allows you to lock areas so as to avoid conflicts when doing teamwork.
- T@h heatmap - Coverage as heatmap.
- Reports: Unmapped Places in Europe 11/2011 and in Germany 8/2010
- OSMatrix - overlay of OSM activities, data density, historical development and further indices.
External compares
- SotM 2010 session: OpenStreetMap – Ready for business!
- Bachelor Thesis comparing OSM 2009 with Navteq datas (german)
- SOTM2010 - Logiball - OSM Spain vs. commercial data compare
- Report OSM Quality Evaluation in UK 7/2007
