GIScience: A holistic Approach

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GIScience A holistic Approach
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What exactly is a holistic approach to Geographic
Information Science (GISci)

• A holistic approach to GIScience means the
  non-discriminitory and fluid exploration/analyzati
  on of spatial phenomena through the use of1)
  geographic data 2)spatial technologies and 3)
  geographic and non-geographic metholodolgies
  contained within the discipline of geographic
  information science. (McAdams, 2007)
• Simply stated I have a a spatial problem. I need
  to find out how I can answer or solve it. What do
  I have in my spatial tool box that can fix
  the problem?

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Geographic Inquiry

• It all starts with a question
• Why or where are things and where will they be
  in the future?
• How does one ask or answer spatial questions?
• Where is the data?
• What do we do with the data?
• Does it answer our questions?

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• 1. Ask geographic questions
• 2. Acquire geographic resources
• 3. Explore geographic data
• 4. Analyze geographic information
• 5. Act upon geographic knowledge
• http//egis.eagle.co.nz/schools/Documents/geoginqu
  iry.pdf

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Asking Geographic Questions

• Where is something located?
• Why is it there?
• Will it be there in the future or somewhere else?

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Acquire Resources

• Whats the geographic focus of your research?
• For what period of time do you need the data?
• For what subject(s) and specific topics do you
  need data?

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Data

• Two types of dataavailable and unavailable
• AvailableAnalog (paper) mapsDigital mapsGIS
  dataRemote Sensing datanon-spatial data
• Non-Availabledata collection by GPS, surveying,
  sampling

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Explore Data

• spatal patterns
• interrelationships
• redefiniton of question
• need for additional data

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Analyze data

• Geographic analysis
• Statistics
• Modeling

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Act upon Geographic Knowledge

• What do we do with our findings?
• Should this lead to more data gathering because
  the evidence is inconclusive?
• Shoud there be actions taken?
• How are we going to monitor the actions to see if
  they are effective?

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Example geographic problemWater Shortage in
Istanbul

• What are the questions?
• How kind of data do we need to answer the
  questions?
• How might we explore the data?
• How do we analyze it?
• What do we do with it?