Fully updated to reflect advances in GIS concepts and techniques, this guide approaches the subject from the broader context of information technology. Gives complete, up-to-date coverage to the concepts and techniques pertaining to every stage of the systems development life cycle of GIS, as well as its applications to various areas of spatial problem solving and decision making. For GIS specialists, GIS technologists, GIS sales directors, urban planners, natural resource managers, land surveyors, geomatics engineers, and foresters who want a complete understanding of GIS and how GIS applies to their fields of interest.

Key Concepts and Techniques in GIS is a concise overview of the fundamental ideas that inform geographic information science. It provides detailed descriptions of the concepts and techniques that anyone using GIS software must fully understand to analyse spatial data. Short and clearly focussed chapters provide explanations of: spatial relationships and spatial data the creation of digital data, the use and access of existing data, the combination of data the use of modelling techniques and the essential functions of map algebra spatial statistics and spatial analysis geocomputation - including discussion of neural networks, cellular automata, and agent-based modelling Illustrated throughout with explanatory figures, the text also includes a glossary, cross referenced to discussion in the text. Written very much from a user′s perspective, Key Concepts and Techniques in GIS is highly readable refresher course for intermediate level students and practitioners of GIS in the social and the natural sciences.

Geographic Information Systems: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a collection of knowledge on the latest advancements and research of geographic information systems. This book aims to be useful for academics and practitioners involved in geographical data.

"The Steinbergs have produced a very relevant book for the times. . . . While many books have emerged on the details of GIS, few resources exist to help teach the merger of GIS with more standard research methods. The Steinbergs accomplish this goal in a way that is readily accessible even to undergraduates." —Theodore Wagenaar, Miami University "The Steinbergs take the reader through all of the essential foundations of GIS... using examples drawn from the social sciences throughout. This book will be essential reading for any social scientist looking for a straightforward introduction to GIS." —Mike Goodchild, University of California, Santa Barbara Geographic Information Systems for the Social Sciences: Investigating Space and Place is the first book to take a cutting-edge approach to integrating spatial concepts into the social sciences. In this text, authors Steven J. Steinberg and Sheila L. Steinberg simplify GIS (Geographic Information Systems) for practitioners and students in the social sciences through the use of examples and actual program exercises so that they can become comfortable incorporating this research tool into their repertoire and scope of interest. The authors provide learning objectives for each chapter, chapter summaries, links to relevant Web sites, as well as suggestions for student research projects. Key Features: Presents step-by-step guidance for integrating GIS with both quantitative and qualitative research Provides an introduction to the use of GIS technology written at an accessible level for individuals without GIS experience while providing depth and guidance appropriate to experienced GIS users Offers an associated interactive Web site—http://www.socialsciencegis.org—to provide a forum for sharing experience and ideas, input to the authors, and a variety of other examples, data, and information related to the topics covered in the text Geographic Information Systems for the Social Sciences offers a nuts-and-bolts introduction to GIS for undergraduate and graduate students taking methods courses across the social sciences. It is an excellent textbook for courses dedicated to GIS research and its applications in the fields of Sociology, Criminology, Public Health, Geography, Anthropology, Political Science, and Environmental Studies. It is also a valuable resource for any social scientist or practitioner interested in applying GIS technology to his or her work. An Instructor′s Resource CD, containing PowerPoint slides, test questions, and suggested Web site links, among other items, is also available to all professors adopting this text.

Geographical information systems are one of the most revolutionary and important tools that have become available to ecological researchers in recent years. Many ecologists are unaware, however, of the full power of GIS techniques and are not using them to their full advantage. By providing examples of ecological applications at scales ranging from organisms to landscapes, this new book offers basic information on the variety of analyses available using GIS. Also discussed is the full scope for linkage to related technologies like remote sensing and methods like spatially explicit modelling. Researchers will find this an invaluable guide to applying and getting the most out of GIS techniques. Presumes no previous GIS experience. A practical guide to using GIS in ecological research. Uses numerous and varied experimental examples and data.

A concise text presenting the fundamental concepts in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), emphasising an understanding of techniques in management, analysis and graphic display of spatial information. Divided into five parts - the first part reviews the development and application of GIS, followed by a summary of the characteristics and representation of geographical information. It concludes with an overview of the functions provided by typical GIS systems. Part Two introduces co-ordinate systems and map projections, describes methods for digitising map data and gives an overview of remote sensing. Part Three deals with data storage and database management, as well as specialised techniques for accessing spatial data. Spatial modelling and analytical techniques for decision making form the subject of Part Four, while the final part is concerned with graphical representation, emphasising issues of graphics technology, cartographic design and map generalisation.

Sustainability has been increasingly embraced as an overarching policy goal, and communities have been called to be active participants on the path towards attaining a balance between fundamental human needs and ecological resilience. Community-based organizations (CBOs) can benefit from using GIS in building community assets and developing well-conceived sustainability initiatives, but GIS has not yet been widely used for those purposes in CBOs. This book illustrates how geographic information (such as maps) can be useful in community development drawing from service-learning GIS projects, and argue that economic theories of sustainability and spatial thinking can be of help in building sustainable community. It also discusses the application of vehicle routing problems for sustainable waste collection; spatio-temporal visualization and analysis techniques in GIS; GIS applications in modern crop protection; role of geographic information system for water quality evaluation; and the use of remote sensing and GIS for groundwater potential mapping in crystalline basement rocks.

With the onslaught of emergent technology in academia, libraries are privy to many innovative techniques to recognize and classify geospatial data?above and beyond the traditional map librarianship. As librarians become more involved in the development and provision of GIS services and resources, they encounter both problems and solutions. Integrating Geographic Information Systems into Library Services: A Guide for Academic Libraries integrates traditional map librarianship and contemporary issues in digital librarianship within a framework of a global embedded information infrastructure, addressing technical, legal, and institutional factors such as collection development, reference and research services, and cataloging/metadata, as well as issues in accessibility and standards.