Once in a while a customer will call to question the positioning of a Texas land survey line. Usually that client is comparing the Texas Railroad Data with information from another source or vendor. Many times a dataset from another source lacks metadata or information about the quality of the data. Often the shape file simply contains lines and an abstract number with no information about data quality, origin, or currency.

WhiteStar has a serious and longstanding commitment to metadata, or “data about our data”. If you subscribe to our Unlimited products, you’ll always know the last date that the map feature was edited or entered into the system. When it is updated, you will know that too.

When it comes to the Texas land survey, we have a great relationship with the state of Texas. When we hear a concern, we contact our land experts at the state who can tell us whether there or not there is an error in the data (usually the comparison source is wrong) and whether the line work corresponds to the original survey notes. The point is, we have a process in place, and a chain of information we can furnish to you to verify the accuracy, currency, and origin of the Texas land survey data. From other sources, this chain of information either never was collected or has been lost with employee turnover or company ownership changes.

Our subscription process includes research and maintenance (often a very large additional expense) and is not offered as a complete subscription package by any other vendor. If you are looking to improve your data and to use your exploration dollars more wisely, then we would be happy to have a more detailed discussion with you.