What makes gis special

There are three factors to the people component: education, career path, and networking. The right education is key; taking the right combination of classes. Selecting the right type of GIS job is important. Finally, continuous networking with other GIS professionals is essential for the exchange of ideas as well as a support community.

Article last updated: March 16, Article first written: November 12, Well structured paper which wets appetite for for more reading and study. I am doing Masters by research on application of Gis in Fire distaster management in my province K vhembe: South Africa.

May you please send me relevant source textbooks. I must say your website has given me the heads up I need to understand this exciting field.

I have read your notes on GIS keenly. My department of Geography, University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon is two years old in this sciences and technology even though students and lecturers as individuals have been exposed to these tools long ago. The notes gives an overall simplified view of our expectations on this domain. The knowledge gathered from the notes is very inspiring to novies even though the future of GIS is not highlighted.

That is after GIS what next as was the picture before its discovery. Students and lecturers of my department and countrymen are just mad about GIS in their areas of specialisation and works but lack access to good and simplified material like these notes to go about it or discover more. Looking forward for more on GIS from your databank which may become our database.

You make a great point about the difficulty in defining GIS — it is like trying to define IT in a nutshell! It covers so many things and has so many uses that its difficult to pin it down to one thing.

The number of uses for GIS data is constantly growing and I think with more location based services arriving on the scene we might see more comprehensive geodatabases giving us all a better and more complete picture of the world around us and bringing problems to the attention of the masses e. It nicely explaines the core aspects of GIS. But still leaves a lot to work upon for someone working the depths of the subject.

I just hope to see some more information regarding the subject in the near future.. Everyday life will one day rotate on GIS.

Because GIS soon if not now has the ability to explain the geograpical phenomenon and compares the past with the present so that the future will be predicted on easily. GIS as a science tool gives us an idea on which measures we ought take in order to mitigate the likely adverse phenomenon as a result of our interaction with nature.

I wish to request if possible, for materials like text book, CDs, journals and all sort related to GIS that will help me develop more on my academic pursuit from any quarter please. I hope your web will be much of assistance to me. In regard to conceptualization of GIS,Why use the overhead projector?

Since it is a system consisting of many aspects ie. Am a student of Geography and environmental management in the university of Port Harcourt Nigeria. The notes here are very wonderful and simplified i have really gained a lot reading them.

Maps Maps are the geographic container for the data layers and analytics you want to work with. GIS maps are easily shared and embedded in apps and accessible by virtually everyone, everywhere.

Data GIS integrates many different kinds of data layers using spatial location. Most data has a geographic component. GIS data includes imagery, features and basemaps linked to spreadsheets and tables. Analysis Spatial analysis lets you evaluate suitability and capability, estimate and predict, interpret and understand and much more, lending new perspectives to your insight and decision-making. Apps Apps provide focused user experiences for getting work done and bringing GIS to life for everyone.

GIS apps work virtually everywhere: on your mobile phones, tablets, in web browsers and on desktops. Who uses GIS? Natural Resources. Where are the land features found? If you need to find the closest gas station, GIS can show you the way. GIS can find optimal location by connecting traffic volumes, zoning information, and demographics. What geographical patterns exist? In conservation, we want to know animal habitat using GPS collars and land cover. By knowing animal locations, we can correlate preferred land types with GPS locations.

In the end, we have a massive database with all types of species of animals. What changes have occurred over a given period of time? Time is the missing element to study change. For example, we understand change through remote sensing of the environment. Also, we better predict disasters by finding change over time. What are the spatial implications? If a company wants to build a new project, GIS excels in storing environment data. Most environmental assessments use GIS to understand the impact of projects in the landscape.

How will GIS grow in the upcoming years? This is a question that is Geographic Information Science understands best. It draws from computer science, mathematics, geography, statistics, cartography, and geodesy. Yes, they have. But geographers can answer these questions much better with Geographic Information Systems. When we first started recording inventories on paper maps, it was quite a tedious process. But what did we really need?

We needed a GIS to record and store observations. Also, we needed a table to store attributes about the data. Geographic information systems GIS let us interpret data understanding relationships, patterns, and trends. Then, viewing and analyzing data geographically impacts our understanding of the world we live in. Williams, Robert , Selling a geographical information system to government policymakers. How much information is geospatially referenced? Networks and cognition Pages Department of Forestry and Rural Development.

Government of Canada, Published Current speculation is that its closer to Change detection using two different dates images giving output results.

GIS application in remote sensing. Often, GIS must manipulate data because different maps have different projections. Different types of projections accomplish this task in different ways, but all result in some distortion. To transfer a curved, three-dimensional shape onto a flat surface inevitably requires stretching some parts and squeezing others.

GIS takes data from maps that were made using different projections and combines them so all the information can be displayed using one common projection. Once all the desired data have been entered into a GIS system, they can be combined to produce a wide variety of individual maps, depending on which data layers are included.

One of the most common uses of GIS technology involves comparing natural features with human activity. For instance, GIS maps can display what man-made features are near certain natural features, such as which homes and businesses are in areas prone to flooding. Maps of a single city or neighborhood can relate such information as average income, book sales, or voting patterns.

Any GIS data layer can be added or subtracted to the same map. GIS maps can be used to show information about numbers and density. With GIS technology, researchers can also look at change over time. They can use satellite data to study topics such as the advance and retreat of ice cover in polar regions, and how that coverage has changed through time.

A police precinct might study changes in crime data to help determine where to assign officers. One important use of time-based GIS technology involves creating time-lapse photography that shows processes occurring over large areas and long periods of time. For example, data showing the movement of fluid in ocean or air currents help scientists better understand how moisture and heat energy move around the globe.

GIS technology sometimes allows users to access further information about specific areas on a map. A person can point to a spot on a digital map to find other information stored in the GIS about that location. For example, a user might click on a school to find how many students are enrolled, how many students there are per teacher, or what sports facilities the school has. GIS systems are often used to produce three-dimensional images.

This is useful, for example, to geologists studying earthquake faults. GIS technology makes updating maps much easier than updating maps created manually. Updated data can simply be added to the existing GIS program. A new map can then be printed or displayed on screen. This skips the traditional process of drawing a map, which can be time-consuming and expensive.

People working in many different fields use GIS technology. GIS technology can be used for scientific investigations, resource management , and development planning. Many retail businesses use GIS to help them determine where to locate a new store. Marketing companies use GIS to decide to whom to market stores and restaurants, and where that marketing should be.

Scientists use GIS to compare population statistics to resources such as drinking water. Biologists use GIS to track animal- migration patterns. City, state, or federal officials use GIS to help plan their response in the case of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or hurricane. GIS maps can show these officials what neighborhoods are most in danger, where to locate emergency shelters, and what routes people should take to reach safety.

Engineers use GIS technology to support the design, implementation, and management of communication networks for the phones we use, as well as the infrastructure necessary for internet connectivity.

Other engineers may use GIS to develop road networks and transportation infrastructure. Illustration courtesy U. Government Accountability Office.