LECTURE 1: INTRO LECTURE

Question 1

Geography (Definition)

Answer 1

The art and science that attempts to study, explain and predict spatial distributions and variations of human activity and physical events on or near earth’s surface

Question 2

Geographical information system (GIS definition)

Answer 2

An organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, trained personnel, and procedures for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying spatially referenced data to aid problem solving

Question 3

How to organize spatial data

Answer 3

Spatial (by location)

Thematic (by real world categories)

Temporal (by time)

Question 4

What are the categories of spatial referencing system?

Answer 4

Census geography

Geocoding

Latitude, longtitude, UTM

Question 5

What are the perspectives of GIS?

Answer 5

Database view

Map view

Model view

Question 6

Topology (definition)

Answer 6

the spatial relationship between adjacent or neighbouring features

Question 7

Vector data

Answer 7

A coordinated model that represents geographic feature as points, lines or polygons

Question 8

Attribute table

Answer 8

A database or tabular file containing information about a set of geographic features, usually arranged so that each row represents a feature and each column represents one feature attribute

Question 9

Precision vs accuracy

Answer 9

Accuracy: How close the measurement is to true or accepted value
Precision: How close the measurements are relative to each other

Question 10

What is GIScience

Answer 10

THE ABILITY TO CRITICALLY ASSESS ALL ASPECTS
OF DATA CAPTURE, DATA THEMSELVES,
ANALYSIS, VISUALIZATION, AND USE…..ARE ALL ELEMENTS OF
SOPHISTICATED GISCIENCE

Question 11

Difference between GIS and GIScience

Answer 11

GIS: a mix of hardware and software used to run spatial analysis and mapping programs
GIScience: theoretical basis for procedures incorporated in GIS software