1. Why GIS Matters Almost everything happens somewhere
Knowing where some things happen is critically important
Position of country boundaries
Location of hospitals
Routing delivery vehicles
Management of forest stands
Allocation of funds for environmental concerns

2. Why GIS Matters
What are the distinguishing characteristics of geographic problems?
1. Scale of Inquiry
2. Intent or Purpose

3. Why GIS Matters
What are the distinguishing characteristics of geographic problems?
3. Basis of Time Scale
A) Operational, required for smooth functioning of an organization
B) Tactical, medium-term decisions
C) Strategic, long-term direction
Transactional, databases that require updating

4. Spatial is Special Geography is Great!
Geographic – Earth’s surface and near-surface
Spatial – any space (including geographic)
Geospatial – synonymous with geographic
however, also has technological connotation

5. Why is Geographic Information Special?
Multidimensional, need 2 coordinates
X,Y Z

6. Why is Geographic Information Special?
Voluminous, large databases

7. Why is Geographic Information Special?
Sinusoidal
Requires projection to flat surface
Hammer-Aitoff
Cylindrical
Equal Area
Behrmann

8. Why is Geographic Information Special?
Unique (spatial) analysis methods

9. Managing What We Know
Data, numbers, text, symbols, which in some sense are neutral and almost free context-free
Degree of interpretation, given a “relation” to another data set
Information, implies a degree of selection, organization and preparation for particular purpose

10. Managing What We Know
Knowledge, information to which value has been added
Interpretation based on context, experience, purpose
Codified Knowledge, written down and transferable
Tacit Knowledge, obtained little by little and complicated to transfer

11. Managing What We Know Evidence: between information and knowledge
information that has been validated
Wisdom: decisions made or advice given that is objective
highly individualized

12. Information on the World
Software captures and implements the general
Database represents the specific
Nomothetic:
general or universal laws
Idiographic:
Individual or specific cases or events

13. Forms of General Knowledge
Classifications
Rule sets
Laws
Geographic laws are of much lower accuracy

14. Problem Solving Stages: 1. Objective 2. Tangible vs. intangible
3. Multi-criteria decision-making techniques