Which option represents a method to share GIS data with a wider audience?

Choosing feature services as a method to share GIS data with a wider audience is particularly strong because feature services allow users to access, query, and manipulate geographic data over the web in real time. This makes it possible for multiple users to interact with the same data simultaneously, facilitating collaborative efforts and broadening accessibility beyond individual users or specific applications.

Feature services provide standardized access to geospatial datasets, enabling users to integrate them easily into web applications or mapping tools. They support various operations, such as editing features and querying attributes, thus enriching the user experience and promoting effective data sharing and visualization.

In contrast, other options like shapefiles, geodatabases, and layer packages are typically more limited in their accessibility and interactivity. Shapefiles are a commonly used format but require additional software to open and manipulate, which can hinder broader sharing. Geodatabases can encapsulate complex datasets but tend to be used primarily within specific GIS environments, making sharing more cumbersome. Layer packages, while useful for sharing particular map layers with styles and symbols, do not provide the same level of accessibility and collaborative potential that feature services do.