2.1: What in the world is a 'GIS'?
Description
This article is from the Geographic Information Systems FAQ, by Lisa Nyman lnyman@census.gov with numerous contributions by others.
2.1: What in the world is a 'GIS'?
From: Scott Freundschuh
What Is A Geographic Information System (GIS)?
An information system that is designed to work with data referenced by
spatial or geographic coordinates. In other words, a GIS is both a
database system with specific capabilities for spatially-referenced
data, as well as a set of operations for working [analysis] with the
data. (Star and Estes, 1990)
A system for capturing, storing, checking, integrating, manipulating,
analyzing and displaying data which are spatially referenced to the
Earth. (Chorley, 1987)
Automated systems for the capture, storage, retrieval, analysis, and
display of spatial data. (Clarke, 1990)
A system of hardware, software, and procedures designed to support the
capture, management, manipulation, analysis, modeling and display of
spatially-referenced data for solving complex planning and management
problems. (NCGIA lecture by David Cowen, 1989)
An integrated package for the input, storage, analysis, and output of
spatial information... analysis being the most significant. (Gaile and
Willmott, 1989)
GIS are simultaneously the telescope, the microscope, the computer, and
the xerox machine of regional analysis and synthesis of spatial data.
(Abler, 1988)
From: David Mark <dmark@sun.acsu.buffalo.edu>
Can we come up with a definition of GIS that would provide a "truth in
advertizing" product defnition for what software can be advertized as being
a GIS, and what cannot,a definition which, when applied to all the packages
that we agree are GISs returns "TRUE", and for the others returns "FALSE".
From: dmarble@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Duane F Marble)
One of the distinctions is the ability to do overlay. Not draw two
things on top of each other, but the logical operation. The creation
of buffers via computation is also closely related. The distinction is
between mapping and analysis.
From time to time, theoretical discussions on this question pop-up.
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