The Rainbow Metaphor: Spatial Data Infrastructure Organization and Implementation in India

Abstract

The use of metaphors can provide useful insights into understanding the inherent technical and institutional complexities of spatial data infrastructures (SDI). In this paper, we examine how metaphors have been used in organization studies, information systems, and also in the information infrastructure domains. We examine some dominant metaphors being used to guide the research and practice of SDIs, including that of the “information superhighway,” “marketplace,” and the “rainbow.” We draw upon the rainbow metaphor, which has its origins in the analysis of information and communication infrastructure in Canada, adapt it to the Indian national SDI (NSDI) context, and develop implications to guide research and practice. We conclude that a judicious combination of metaphors can serve not only as a heuristic device for thinking about the development pattern of the emerging Indian NSDI infrastructure, but also as a culturally sensitive rhetorical argument for promoting the NSDI concept to political decision makers.