scope:

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is the organized activity by which people:

• Measure aspects of geographic phenomena and processes

• Represent these measurements, usually in the form of a computer database, to emphasize spatial themes, entities, and relationships

• Operate upon these representations to produce more measurements, and to discover new relationships by integraing disparate sources

• Transform these representations to conform to other frameworks of entities and relationships.

These activities reflect the larger context, such as institutions and cultures, in which these people carry out their work. In turn, the GIS may influence these structures.

This text provides the comprehensive coverage needed to master this powerful new technology.