Collection Overview

Scientific Data has launched a Guest-Edited Collection on Geodata for human wellbeing.

Geospatial data can link people, places, and the environment. It can help us understand the complex relationships between public health, societal development, and resource management.

Submissions covering health and disease mapping, environmental exposures, urban and rural development/infrastructure, disaster resilience, and socio-economic trends are encouraged. Equally, datasets that support natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, habitat monitoring, or ecosystem services mapping are highly relevant. 

This will be a Collection of Data Descriptors and will be open for submissions from all authors – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Scientific Data more generally. We are welcoming submissions until 2^nd February 2026.

Why is this Collection important? 

“Geospatial data has the power to connect people, places, and the environment—unlocking insights into the intricate relationships between public health, societal progress, and resource management. A collection of Geospatial data and its analysis can provide actionable insights in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. It can lead to new spatio-temporal statistical methods, unlock causal mechanism and speed up the development, calibration and validation of mechanistic computational models. This Collection isn’t just about publishing data—it’s about building a foundation for cross-sectoral solutions that are spatially aware, empirically grounded, and globally relevant. A researcher should consider submitting to this Geospatial Data for Wellbeing collection because it offers a unique and timely platform to amplify the scientific and societal impact of their work.” - Debraj Roy

“Geospatial data offer a powerful lens through which to understand how people interact with places over time—and how those interactions influence health, stress, and opportunity. This Collection supports efforts to curate and openly shares datasets that make such linkages visible. I’m excited by the potential to bridge disciplinary gaps between environmental monitoring, behavioral health, and public policy—especially as mobile and sensor-based data streams expand. Submitting to this Collection will help build a shared empirical foundation for studying and improving human wellbeing across geographically and culturally diverse contexts.” - Thomas R. Kirchner

Why submit to a collection? 

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by Guest Editors, who are experts in their fields, and In-House Editors and are supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest. 

Who is involved? 

Guest Editors:

• Thomas R Kirchner: New York University School of Global Public Health, USA
• Debraj Roy: University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Internal Team:

• In-House Editor: Alireza Foroozani, Scientific Data, UK
• Commissioning Editor: Nancy Rogerson, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK
• Managing Editor: Sarah Jane Hunt, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK

How can I submit my paper? 

Visit the Collection Page to find out more about this collection and submit your Data Descriptor.