Geographic information science
Scientific discipline studying geographic information and its applications.
Geographic information science (GIScience, GISc) is a scientific discipline at the crossroads of computational science, social science, and natural science. It studies geographic information, including how it represents real-world phenomena, how it reflects human understanding, and how it can be captured, organized, and analyzed. It is broadly considered a sub-discipline of geography or an interdisciplinary field, with applications to both physical and human geography, as well as many other fields and industries.
- subfield_of
- Geography (or interdisciplinary field)
Lore & Background
British geographer Michael Goodchild defined GIScience in the 1990s and summarized its core interests, including spatial analysis, visualization, and the representation of uncertainty. Since its inception, the boundaries between GIScience and cognate disciplines have been contested, with different communities disagreeing on what GIScience is and what it studies. Goodchild stated that 'information science can be defined as the systematic study according to scientific principles of the nature and properties of information. Geographic information science is the subset of/or information science that is about geographic information.' Another influential definition by David Mark describes GIScience as the basic research field that seeks to redefine geographic concepts and their use in the context of geographic information systems, while also examining the impacts of GIS on individuals and society.
Reader's Guide
GIScience is significant because it bridges computational, social, and natural sciences to improve how geographic information is used in real-world applications. Unlike geographic information systems (GIS), which are the actual repositories of geospatial data and software tools, GIScience focuses on finding practical ways to improve GIS data, software, and professional practice. Its legacy includes influencing fields such as geocomputation, geoinformatics, geomatics, and geovisualization. Recent developments have expanded its focus to include human dynamics in hybrid physical-virtual worlds, quantum GIScience, smart cities, and the social and environmental impacts of technological innovations. The field supports research in political science and anthropology, and draws from computer science, statistics, mathematics, and psychology. In 2009, Goodchild summarized the history of GIScience and its achievements and open challenges.
Did You Know?
- GIScience is broadly considered a sub-discipline of geography or an interdisciplinary field.
- British geographer Michael Goodchild defined GIScience in the 1990s.
- One major goal of GIScience is to find practical ways to improve GIS data, software, and professional practice.
- Recent developments include studies on quantum GIScience and smart cities.
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