Geocoding Errors in Address Data
Author Information
Author(s): Paul A Zandbergen
Primary Institution: University of New Mexico
Hypothesis
Positional error in street geocoding is not random and often occurs toward one side of the street due to incorrect address ranges.
Conclusion
Higher-quality street reference data can improve geocoding accuracy, but inherent limitations in the linear interpolation algorithm still pose challenges.
Supporting Evidence
- The positional error in street geocoding is often biased toward one side of the street.
- Geocoding accuracy varies based on the quality of street reference data.
- Address-point databases provide greater positional accuracy than traditional street geocoding.
Takeaway
When we look up addresses on a map, sometimes the location is off because of how the data is organized, and this can lead to mistakes in understanding where things are.
Methodology
The study analyzed positional errors in geocoding by comparing actual locations with vendor-assigned coordinates.
Potential Biases
There is a risk of underestimating the effects of positional errors in geocoding on exposure classification.
Limitations
The study's results may not be generalizable beyond the specific scenarios examined.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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