title: Standardising and mapping open-source information for crisis regions: the case of post-conflict Iraq.
abstract: Painting an accurate picture of the situation on the ground in countries in crisis is vital for the efficiency of humanitarian aid and reconstruction agencies. This study describes a method for standardising and mapping the plethora of open-source information. The test site for the study is post-conflict Iraq. Important information on aid distribution, reconstruction and security in Iraq can be derived from the reports of humanitarian aid agencies and the media, before being formatted, inserted into a database and mapped. The product is a visual, cartographic structure of otherwise random information, showing which organisations are working in the country, which thematic and geographic areas are being prioritized in the field, and which areas most frequently experience security events. This type of mapping not only highlights the overall working environment within different parts of the country, but it may also serve as a decision-making tool for donors and humanitarian aid agencies planning to deploy personnel.
authors.affiliation: Center for Applications and Research in Remote Sensing, University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mubareka
authors.forename: Delilah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Al Khudhairy
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonn
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoun
mesh_terms: D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D033181:Information Dissemination; D007493:Iraq; D014857:Warfare