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Geographic information science
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007) |
Geographic information science (GISc or GISci) is the academic theory behind the development, use, and application of geographic information systems (GIS). It is concerned with GIS hardware, software, and geospatial data. GIS, on the other hand, addresses problems and issues primarily through technological methodology (e.g. digital mapping), GISc addresses fundamental issues raised by the use of GIS and related technologies (Goodchild 1990, 1992; Wilson and Fotheringham 2007).
Geographic data refers to the data in its raw form. Geographic information is the result of an interpretation of data. As the real world is complex, choices over how the features of interest are described in the database, such as the percentage canopy closure for a given forest, results in alternative but equally valid interpretations of the same raw data. Thus, in the creation of information from data, choices about how and what to map are made. It is important to recognize, that information is socially constructed, as it depends on decisions and choices, themselves influenced by institutional and political contexts.
Because of these issues and many others, it is therefore useful to reflect on what it is we do with a GIS. Thus GISc is concerned with issues relating to representation, ontologies, error, and inconsistency. Uncertainty is introduced in almost every stage of the operation of a GIS, as there are subjective choices to be made. Thus, GISc must also explore the ethical implications of using GIS to represent "the truth" to whomever the audience is.
Comber, A.J., Fisher, P.F., Wadsworth, R.A., (2005). What is land cover? Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 32:199-209.
Goodchild, M. F. (1990). Spatial information science. In Proceedings, Fourth International Symposium on Spatial Data Handling, pp. 3–12, Zurich, Switzerland.
Goodchild, M. F. (1992). Geographical information science. International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, 6(1):31–45.
Longley, Goodchild, Maguire, and Rhind. 2nd Ed.(2005) Geographic Information Systems and Science. ISBN: 0-470-87000-1.
Wilson, J.P. and Fotheringham, A.S. (2007). The Handbook of Geographic Information Science. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.