Geographic information science(GIScience,GISc) orgeoinformation scienceis ascientific disciplineat the crossroads ofcomputational science,social science,andnatural sciencethat studiesgeographic information,including how it represents phenomena in the real world, how it represents the way humans understand the world, and how it can be captured,organized,andanalyzed.It is a sub-field ofgeography,specifically part oftechnical geography.[1][2][3]It has applications to bothphysical geographyandhuman geography,although its techniques can be applied to many otherfields of studyas well as many differentindustries.
As a field of study or profession, it can be contrasted withgeographic information systems(GIS), which are the actual repositories of geospatial data, the software tools for carrying out relevant tasks, and the profession of GIS users. That said, one of the major goals of GIScience is to find practical ways to improve GIS data, software, and professional practice; it is more focused on how gis is applied in real life as opposed to being a geographic information system tool in and of itself. The field is also sometimes calledgeographical information science.
British geographerMichael Goodchilddefined this area in the 1990s and summarized its core interests, includingspatial analysis,visualization, and the representation of uncertainty.[4]GIScience is conceptually related togeomatics,information science,computer science,anddata science,but it claims the status of an independent scientific discipline.[5]Recent developments in the field have expanded its focus to include studies onhuman dynamicsin hybrid physical-virtual worlds, quantum GIScience, the development ofsmart cities,and the social and environmental impacts of technological innovations.[6]These advancements indicate a growing intersection of GIScience with contemporary societal and technological issues. Overlapping disciplines are:geocomputation,geoinformatics,geomatics andgeovisualization.[7]Other related terms aregeographic data science(afterdata science)[8][9] andgeographic information science and technology(GISci&T),[10]with job titlesgeospatial information scientists and technologists.[11]
Definitions
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Since its inception in the 1990s, the boundaries between GIScience and cognate disciplines are contested, and different communities might disagree on what GIScience is and what it studies. In particular, Goodchild stated that "information science can be defined as the systematic study according to scientific principles of the nature and properties of information. Geographic information science is the subset of information science that is about geographic information."[12]Another influential definition is that by geographic information scientist (GIScientist)David Mark,which states:
Geographic Information Science (GIScience) is the basic research field that seeks to redefine geographic concepts and their use in the context of geographic information systems. GIScience also examines the impacts of GIS on individuals and society, and the influences of society on GIS. GIScience re-examines some of the most fundamental themes in traditional spatially oriented fields such as geography, cartography, and geodesy, while incorporating more recent developments in cognitive and information science. It also overlaps with and draws from more specialized research fields such as computer science, statistics, mathematics, and psychology, and contributes to progress in those fields. It supports research in political science and anthropology, and draws on those fields in studies of geographic information and society.[13]
In 2009, Goodchild summarized the history of GIScience and its achievements and open challenges.[14]
See also
edit- Category:Geographic information scientists
- Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge
- Geostatistics
- Organizations
- Association of Geographic Information Laboratories for Europe
- National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis
- UCSB Center for Spatial Studies
- University Consortium for Geographic Information Science
- United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation
- Journals
References
edit- ^Haidu, Ionel (2016)."What is Technical Geography – a letter from the editor".Geographia Technica.11:1–5.doi:10.21163/GT_2016.111.01.
- ^Ormeling, Ferjan (2009).Technical Geography Core concepts in the mapping sciences.Eolss Publishers Company Limited. p. 482.ISBN978-1-84826-960-6.
- ^Bello, Innocent E. (October 2023)."Critical Issues in the Methods of Data Collection in Geoinformatics and Environmental Sciences".International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Research.9(8): 18–28.doi:10.56201/ijssmr.v9.no8.2023.pg18.28.
- ^Goodchild, Michael F. (2010-07-27)."Twenty years of progress: GIScience in 2010 | Goodchild | Journal of Spatial Information Science".Journal of Spatial Information Science.2010(1): 3–20.doi:10.5311/josis.2010.1.2.
- ^Duckham, Matt; Goodchild, Michael F.; Worboys, Michael (2004-11-23).Foundations of Geographic Information Science.CRC Press.ISBN9780203009543.
- ^"Symposium 2023".ucgis.org.Retrieved2023-12-25.
- ^Krawczyk, Artur (9 November 2022)."Proposal of Redefinition of the Terms Geomatics and Geoinformatics on the Basis of Terminological Postulates".ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information.11(11): Krawczyk.Bibcode:2022IJGI...11..557K.doi:10.3390/ijgi11110557.
- ^Singleton, Alex; Arribas-Bel, Daniel (2019)."Geographic Data Science".Geographical Analysis.53:61–75.doi:10.1111/gean.12194.ISSN0016-7363.
- ^Andrienko, Gennady;Andrienko, Natalia;Weibel, Robert (2017)."Geographic Data Science"(PDF).IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.37(5): 15–17.doi:10.1109/MCG.2017.3621219.ISSN0272-1716.
- ^Unwin, David J.; Foote, Kenneth E.; Tate, Nicholas J.; DiBiase, David, eds. (2011-12-16).Teaching Geographic Information Science and Technology in Higher Education.Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.doi:10.1002/9781119950592.ISBN978-1-119-95059-2.
- ^"Geospatial Information Scientists and Technologists - 15-1199.04".O*NETCode Connector.2020-11-26.Retrieved2022-01-28.
- ^Goodchild, Michael (1992). "Geographical information science".International Journal of Geographical Information Systems.6(1): 31–45.doi:10.1080/02693799208901893.
- ^Duckham, Matt; Goodchild, Michael F.; Worboys, Michael (2004-11-23).Foundations of Geographic Information Science.CRC Press. p. 4.ISBN9780203009543.
- ^Goodchild, Michael F. (2009). "Geographic information systems and science: today and tomorrow".Annals of GIS.15(1): 3–9.Bibcode:2009AnGIS..15....3G.doi:10.1080/19475680903250715.ISSN1947-5683.S2CID13308017.