In a broad sense Data acquisition is the process of sampling signals that measure real world physical conditions and converting the resulting samples into digital numeric values that can be manipulated by a computer.   It can be costly from a financial perspective, time consuming, and difficult to coordinate for various reasons that include but are not limited to resource availability, weather, budgetary constraints, and deliverable deadlines.  In order to optimize the process, care must be taken to ensure that the specifications relating to the data acquisition and post-processing are appropriate for intended use, and furthermore, that adequate controls are in place to ensure that the project outputs, as based on these specifications, are fit for purpose and available at the intended delivery time.  

SANI-ITA provides various methodologies for defining appropriate specifications, capturing and recording data on the surface of the Earth. Ground based survey techniques as well as acquisition from airborne or spaceborne sensors can be employed for data acquisition, which is viewed as an independent requirement, or as an integral part of a complete geomatics workflow.