Integrating Expert Knowledge and Recursive Bayesian Inference: A Framework for Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Data Challenges

Abstract: Expert elicitation is a critical approach for addressing data scarcity across various disciplines. But moreover, it can also complement big data analytics by mitigating the limitations of observational data, such as incompleteness and reliability issues, thereby enhancing model estimates through the integration of disparate or conflicting data sources. The paper also outlines various strategies for integrating prior information within the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation method and proposes a recursive approach that allows for the analysis of new data as it arrives. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to expert elicitation, with a particular emphasis on spatial and spatio-temporal contexts. Specifically, it introduces a typology of expert-based model implementations that addresses different change of support scenarios between observational and expert data. Detailed examples illustrating clear and replicable procedures for implementing expert elicitation and recursive inference are also presented.