Premise: I wanted to have a tool for participatory geographic information system (PGIS) that is free yet robust for academic work.

Context: My participants will be fishers in rural areas where internet connection might be sparse unless I have some device for localized Wi-Fi. The fishers themselves may find computers and the concept of mapping a little strange at first.

Why I chose OSM and JOSM: I joined the PGIS listserve and listened in on the conversation by PGIS practitioners on software and mapping options. Earlier, I was exploring the utility of Google Maps and have found it to be difficult for offline use even though I tried the cached maps. Further, Google Maps are copyrighted maps.

The aspect of OSM and JOSM I am most interested in right now: I have simulated offline mapping conditions and found that there are many tiles on the map without downloaded imagery. In these places are error messages. If I remained at the same location, it is fine. I could still use JOSM and its functions. But I doubt in actual mapping circumstances that the participant would want to stay at one location. I anticipate that we may zoom in and out throughout the interview process.