Discovering and Accessing Sub-national Statistics and Geospatial Data of East Asian Countries: Trends and Obstacles

Abstract

The increasing use of geographic information systems (GIS), combined with the wider availability of sub-national statistics, has recently opened up new possibilities for more interdisciplinary academic research in social sciences. Social science researchers have become more and more interested in combining geographic analysis, traditional quantitative and statistical methods in order to test hypotheses and present arguments in more effective ways. However, discovering, accessing, and using the international geospatial data and statistics is still a challenge for the researchers. As the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Science Forum report (2013) noted, information about the existence of micro-data and the availability of re-use is often difficult to find. Language barriers, as well as legal, cultural, and technological obstacles often exacerbate the difficulties of re-using the discovered data. In this paper, I will review types of geospatial data and sub-national statistics of East Asian countries have recently developed via central and local governments and academic institutions. Also, I will discuss the obstacles researchers encountered while using such data in their research.