Schuurman Ch 1.

GIS is not as straightforward as it may seem it is used by different people to generate maps that answer fundamentally different questions.
examples:

• A map of how many properties effected by addition of an extra highway lane
• A map that defines the boundaries of communities with varying health outcomes.

GIS is used in one to delineate definite boundaries of properties whereas the other maps “fuzzy” indefinite and changeable boundaries.

The developement of GIS and how it came to be what it now is can be traced back to a Canadian computer cartography system called Canada Geographic Information System.  From there developement of GIS occured in simultaneous projects in both the United States and United Kingdom.  Within developement of GIS there were initially two somewhatm separate motivations. One spawning from cartographers developing means of creating digital maps and the other from quatitative geographers developing computer programs to solve spatial problems.

The advantage of graphics created by GIS is that they are a means of displaying data that is more accessible than numerical means as images are found to be processed in decision making in a different way than numerical and written information.

“black box” GISystem

GIS is not one program or one method of data collection and presentation, rather it is a collection of programs made up of various algorithms and computer codes. The term “black box” delineates technologies that are frequently relied on and accepted but rarely questions as to their accuracy.

I found this section very interesting because it very likely refers to many ecological studies that utilize GIS software assuming that it creates infallible distinctions between areas.

GIScience

GI Science refers to geographers that analyze the premis and  accuracy of the information created by existing systems under varying conditions. Examples of GIScience Questions:  How well does one system work in a glacial as apposed to a wetland environment?  Does  it use vector (polygon) or raster (gridded) data?   How do different input parameters and measurements effect the resulting GIS analysis? and which version of data is better or more accurate?

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