Several administrative, technical and political factors must be considered when deciding how much accuracy to have in a proposed GIS database. From an administrative point of view, the major considerations are the primary application and the price tag of the database - two closely related factors, given that cost rises almost exponentially as the accuracy of the database increases Because electronic presentation accuracy definitions are different from paper products, it is important to clarify those distinctions. The accuracy of a hard copy map is defined by its scale. Linear features smaller than one meter in width, but having one meter in length, may also be discernible.
Engineering needs the highest levels, perhaps quarter-meter resolution or even better.
An environmental protection unit using GPS to locate rare and endangered species habitats require point accuracy to enable biologists to return to a specific breeding location. If regional planning groups are studying intelligent vehicle highway systems, they will need resolutions of three feet or better. Less accuracy may show the vehicle as being completely off the road. On the other hand, planning applications involving spatial relationships between features require much broader measurements. Some applications require both fine and coarse resolution.