QFlowCrate: A QGIS Plugin for Workflow Documentation and Provenance Capture to Enhance Geoscientific Reproducibility

Rademaker, Andreas; Koukouraki, Eftychia; Pondi, Brian

Abstract

We present QFlowCrate, a QGIS plugin designed to support semi-automatic documentation of geospatial workflows and improve map reproducibility. Addressing the lack of integrated provenance capture in desktop GIS, QFlowCrate retrospectively records data inputs, processing steps, parameters, and cartographic symbology during QGIS use. The plugin is implemented in Python using the PyQGIS API and a modular, graph-based architecture that separates user interaction, internal provenance models, and metadata export. Documented workflows are exported as standard-compliant Research Object Crates (RO-Crates), following the Process Run Crate profile. QFlowCrate is openly available on GitHub and can be reused or extended to support reproducible research practices in geoscientific and cartographic workflows.