10/13/2022

FEB 503
Lecture 1: Introduction

Data
• Data: raw facts and figures. Distinct pieces of information.
Can exist as numbers, text, audio, image, video, bits/bytes
stored in electronic memory, or facts in a person’s mind.
• Data constitute the raw values collected during an activity such as
field work, experiment, simulation, or calculation
• Data - values assigned to the attributes (properties) of particular
object or process entity that occupies space and time
• Spatial Data - contains positional values

Spatial Data Types

• Areas/polygons:
• unbounded: land use, market areas ,soils, rock type
• bounded: county boundaries, parcels of land
• continuous: elevation, rainfall, ocean salinity
• moving: air masses, animal herds, schools of fish
• Networks/lines: roads, transmission lines, streams
• points:
• fixed: wells, street lamps, addresses
• moving: cars, fish, deer

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Information
• Information is processed data.
• A collection of facts (data) organized in such a way that they have
additional value beyond the value of the facts (data) themselves.
• Information, is the meaning of the data based on background
knowledge (e.g., a Geological map to a Geologist)

Characteristics of Valuable Information

• accurate, • relevant,
• complete, • simple,
• economical, • timely,
• flexible, • verifiable,
• reliable, • accessible
• secure,

Knowledge
• Knowledge: an awareness and understanding of a set of
information and how that information can be made useful to
support a specific task
• Knowledge base: the collection of data, rules, procedures,
and relationships that must be followed to achieve the
proper outcome

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System
• System: A set of elements or components that interact to
accomplish goals. It is a combination of components working
together to achieve a common goal.
• For example,
• a computer system includes both hardware and software;
• the binary numbering system, a way to count using two binary
digits (0,1)

Elements of a System
• A system has three elements: input, processing, and output.
• A system must also incorporate some feedback mechanisms
• Feedback: Output that is used to make changes to the input or
processing

Elements of a System

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Types of Systems
• System types:
• simple vs complex
• open vs closed
• stable vs dynamic
• adaptive vs non-adaptive
• permanent vs temporary
• System boundary: Defines the system and distinguishes it
from everything else (other systems, its “environment”, etc)

Information System
• Information System: a set of interrelated elements or
components (data, hardware, software, people) that collect
(input), manipulate (process), and disseminate (output) data
and information and provide a feedback mechanism to meet
an objective

Geographic Information System

• Information System: a set of interrelated elements or
components (data, hardware, software, people) that collect
(input), manipulate (process), and disseminate (output)
Geographic data and information and provide a feedback
mechanism to meet an objective

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Information System
• Input: The activity of gathering and capturing data or
whatever goes into the computer;
• Processing: Converting or transforming data into useful
outputs;
• Output: Retrieving useful information, usually in the form of
documents, reports, or maps
• Information Systems (IS) can be computer-based (CBIS) or
manual-based

Components of a CBIS
• Hardware
• Software
• Data
• People
• Procedures

Hardware
• Hardware- Computer equipment used to perform input,
processing, and output activities.
• Hardware refers to objects that you can actually touch, like
• disks and disk drives,
• display screens,
• keyboards,
• boards and chips,
• printers and plotters

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Software
• Software constitute the computer programs that
govern/determine/control the operation of the computer.
• Software exists as ideas, concepts, and symbols.
• Software is often divided into two categories.
• Systems software includes the operating system and all the
utilities that enable the computer to function e.g. Microsoft
Windows, Android
• Applications software includes programs that do real work for
users. For example ArcGIS, Microsoft Word etc

Data and databases

• Data – raw facts and figures
• Database - An organized collection of data.
• A database is organized in such a way that a computer
program can quickly select desired pieces of data.
• A database is organized by fields, records, and files.
• A field is a single piece of information;
• a record is one complete set of fields; and
• a file is a collection of records.

Data and Databases

• To access information from a database, you need a database
management system (DBMS).
• This is a collection of programs that enables you to enter, organize,
and select data in a database.
• In a Geospatial Environment, there are two types of data
• Location Data – Spatial, Geospatial. Further, there are two types of
location data: Vector and Raster
• Attribute Data – descriptive data e.g. place name, place type etc

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People
• People: Includes people who manage, run, program, and
maintain the system E.g., GIS professionals, end users
• The most important element in most CBIS (and hence, GIS)
• Arguably the most difficult component of a CBIS: politics,
sabotage, need for training,

Procedures
• Procedures: includes the strategies, policies, methods, and
rules for using the CBIS

Geographic Information System

• A GIS is defined as a computer based information system
that is used to input (capture, collect, transform), process
(store, retrieve, model, manipulate, analyse) and output
(display, visualize) geospatial data and information in order
to support decision making.

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Geographic Information System

• A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer-based
information system that enables capture, modelling,
manipulation, retrieval, analysis and presentation of
geographically referenced data (Worboys)

Epilogue

References