What Is GIS
GIS
- Geographic Information Systems
- A set of tools for capturing, storing, analyzing, visualizing and interpreting geographic information
- A discipline that reaches almost every market sector and industry
- A technolgy that impacts decision making on a daily basis
Geographic Information Systems
Wikipedia describes GIS as:
A geographic information system (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data. The acronym GIS is sometimes used for geographical information science or geospatial information studies to refer to the academic discipline or career of working with geographic information systems and is a large domain within the broader academic discipline of Geoinformatics.[1] In the simplest terms, GIS is the merging of cartography, statistical analysis, and computer science technology.
A GIS can be thought of as a system—it digitally creates and "manipulates" spatial areas that may be jurisdictional, purpose, or application-oriented. Generally, a GIS is custom-designed for an organization. Hence, a GIS developed for an application, jurisdiction, enterprise, or purpose may not be necessarily interoperable or compatible with a GIS that has been developed for some other application, jurisdiction, enterprise, or purpose. What goes beyond a GIS is a spatial data infrastructure, a concept that has no such restrictive boundaries.
In a general sense, the term describes any information system that integrates, stores, edits, analyzes, shares, and displays geographic information for informing decision making. GIS applications are tools that allow users to create interactive queries (user-created searches), analyze spatial information, edit data in maps, and present the results of all these operations.[2] Geographic information science is the science underlying geographic concepts, applications, and systems.[3]
The first known use of the term "Geographic Information System" was by Roger Tomlinson in the year 1968 in his paper "A Geographic Information System for Regional Planning".[4]Tomlinson is also acknowledged as the "father of GIS".
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_information_system)
A Set of Tools
From Open Source software to Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) products such as Esri or Intergraph, URISA is a vendor-neutral organization that promotes the responsible and ethical use of technology for the betterment of mankind, business practices and technology. By the name alone, a Geographic Information System is a collection of components that all work in harmony.
It has been stated that approximately 80% of information that is generated and consumed has some sort of spatial component to it, whether that is an address, x and y coordinate or a parcel number, it is natural that this data is stored in spatial databases. GIS enhances and integrates many different databases, making a common geospatial platform in which to view and analyze this information.
The WHERE of information is just as important as the WHAT. Spatial analysis, such as how far are you from the nearest coffee shop, has become an expected normal in today's online and connected world. Smart phone technology and the proliferation of geospatial information through online mapping services makes geographic information both easy and accessible.
GIS is a Discipline
In June of 2010, the U.S. Department of Labor released the Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM). The GTCM outlined a broad range of services, technical and manufacturing professions, and products within the fields of geography, surveying and mapping, computer science, information science and other specialized areas of application that comprise geospatial technology. Competency models are used to guide individual professional development, to help people move up or over in an organization or industry, to help educators and trainers develop curricula that address workforce needs, to inform development of interview protocols, as requirements for professional certification, and as criteria for academic program accreditation and articulation.
URISA took the GTCM and focused on the GIS Management component (Tier-9) of the model. Following a year-long effort by a task force of 18 contributors and a public review process that attracted 100 comment, URISA put forward a draft Geospatial Management Competency Model (GMCM) which was accepted by the U.S. Department of Labor. Of the 20 industries that have published competency models, the Geospatial industry is the first to have specified management competencies.and released for public comment in order to determine what are the 74 competencies and 18 competency areas that characterize the work of successful GIS managers within an organization.
As GIS becomes more ingrained into business processes, the demand for skilled workers and also for formal and professional education has also increased. A plethora of degree and certificate programs are now available to prepare the next generation of GIS employees.
There is now even an annual global GIS Day as part of Geography Awareness Week, a geographic literacy initiative sponsored by the National Geographic Society.
Technology that impacts
We now live in a world where geospatial information and analysis is readily available. From location-based information on our smart phones and tablets (think of the mapping application on your phone that you use to locate a restaurant or retail store) to accessiblity was unheard of previously. When GIS was originally developed, 50+ years ago, the thought of the proliferation of spatial data was unheard of. Today, we have more and bettercomputing power in the palm of our hands than there used to be in a room full of computers.
Using GIS to aid in humanitarian efforts, or to develop datasets that previously did not exist, in a quick and effective manner, shows not only the power of the technology but the users. Examples of such efforts can be seen at URISA's GISCorps page.
