Time

Some data sets are time sensitive. Time is usually reported at the date of collection of the source material which can be an important attribute in GIS data sets.

Time of data collection is particularly important in comparisons of land cover change generated from aerial photographs. For example, the time of year at which aerial photographs are taken can seriously affect the appearance of land cover features and cause problems associated with interpretation and comparison.

Whether data is up to date can also affect the accuracy of the GIS application.