Crowdsourced data mapping projects and evaluation of their applicability in Turkey in terms of disaster management

This thesis seeks to identify the barriers to the integrated implementation of a crowdsourced crisis data mapping project by the humanitarian sector in Turkey. Based on the discussions in the literature, in this study examines the stuation of the humanitarian sector in Turkey in order for the humanitarian sector to realize a successful mapping project. The study was designed as an interwoven single case study in accordance with the qualitative paradigm and supported by quantitative data. For this purpose, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 48 people who had been exposed to disasters in the past, together with people from various institutions and levels of disaster management. Online observations were made in Turkey Mapping Community virtual groups. Data was collected from 344 humanitarian aid volunteers in order to obtain insights on digital volunteers, an important stakeholder in terms of Crowdsourced Data Mapping. According to the findings of the study, polarization is one of the obstacles to a successful data mapping project. There are other barriers such as one-way communication, map timeliness, and lack of open data. These barriers have the potential to undermine the open government, open data, transparency and participation that data mapping requires. It has been observed that humanitarian organizations use social media as a mass media tool in the form of one-way communication with old habits. It is thought that reservations about crowdsourcing and open data, especially in public institutions, can be overcome by raising the awareness of managers on the subject. Within the scope of the research, a model specific to Turkey has been proposed. This thesis study was supported within the scope of 100/2000 YÖK Doctoral Scholarship and TÜBİTAK-BİDEB, 2211-A General Domestic Doctoral Scholarship Program. Keywords: Data Mapping, Crowdsourcing, Disaster Management, Disaster Communication, Open Data