GIS: Geographic Information Systems
GIS: Geographic Information Systems
According to Tufts University’s GIS Center, Geographic Information Systems, commonly referred to as GIS, is a set of tools and data that can help researchers, policy-makers, and community members visualize, explore, and interpret information across disciplines to understand spatial relationships, patterns, and trends.
GIS in its simplest form is a map with a database behind it of information that integrates layers of information about neighborhoods, cities, national or state parks, etc. Data such as demographics, transportation, business, schools, open space, are layered within these maps in order to be able to ask more interesting questions about the area.
GIS is often combined with other research tools and methods, making for a richer set of research questions, data and results.
Glossaries/Dictionaries
- ArcGIS Resource Center – GIS Dictionary
- Dictionary of Abbreviations and Acronyms in Geographic Information Systems, Cartography, and Remote Sensing
- Earth Fact Sheet (NASA)
- FGDC (Federal Geographic Data Committee) – Glossary
- GEO Community – Data HelpDesk GIS Glossary
General Content
- ARC GIS Tutorials – ArcGIS is a suite consisting of a group of geographic information system (GIS) software products produced by ESRI.
- CSISS (Center for Spatially Integrated Social Sciences) – GIS Cookbook – Simple descriptions and illustrations of basic GIS tasks aimed at social scientists.
- GeoWeb: MIT GIS Services
- Federal Geographic Data Committee – This federally supported committee coordinates the development, use, sharing and dissemination of geospatial data.
- GIS@Tufts: Geographic Information Systems
- Tufts GIS Examples by Practice/Research Area
- Tufts GIS Online Data Sources
- Harvard Geospatial Library – A collection of 7,635 worldwide and regional geographic data layers, scanned historic maps and associated descriptive information that can be searched mapped and downloaded for use with your GIS software.
- Harvard Graduate School of Design – GIS Manual – Harvard Graduate School of Design – Excellent guide to various GIS topics and problems.
- MITOpenCourseware: Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences – See especially – Introduction to Geology, Environmental Earth Science.
- National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) – Provides geophysical data for earth sciences.
- Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Services – Links to GIS clearinghouses and specialized data.
- UEP 232/ENV 193 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Urban and Environmental Analysis, TuftsOpenCourseware – This course focuses on introducing students to the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in the urban/suburban/metropolitan environment.
- University of Arkansas – Maps and Geographic Information Systems
Last updated: 05/18/2012 10:11:25