This document provides an overview of geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial data. It defines GIS components like map data, attribute data, software, hardware and methods. It describes common spatial data examples and GIS applications in fields like natural resource management, health care, facilities management and crime analysis. The document also discusses accessing spatial data in Canada, including through the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure and the GEODE project in Alberta which aims to improve access to spatial data for post-secondary education and research.
2. GIS & Spatial Data - Today
Introduction to Geographic
Information Systems (GIS)
technology: basics, applications, and
directions
Spatial data: information resources
for GIS research
Spatial data access –
in Canada and in Alberta
GEODE
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9. GIS Components
Map data
Information about location w/graphics
http://www.zoology.unimelb.edu.au/stats/Eworksheets/images/RandomCoordinates.jpg
10. GIS Components:
Attribute
data
Information
about what
can be
found at a
particular
location
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/images/5740f02.gif
12. Spatial data examples
Road networks
Vegetation inventories
Soil inventories
Census results
Municipal boundaries
Elevation values
Climate readings
Habitat ranges
…
13. GIS Components
Software
A technology for storing and analyzing
location and attribute data
http://www.l.hsr.ch/skripte/gisscripts/media/softwarescreen1.jpg
14. GIS Components
Hardware
Systems to support rapid graphic
analysis and processing
http://www.gdf-hannover.de/pics/gisrechner.png
15. GIS Personnel
People
Project coordinators
Data analysts
Programmers
Data and knowledge managers
Librarians
16. GIS Components
Methods
The analysis to be performed on the
data
http://www.wwf.org.co/colombia/images/a28_c.gif
17. GIS Methods and Analysis
GIS is used to answer questions
and support decisions
The quality of the answer depends
on:
The METHODS chosen
The DATA (more on that later)
18. Data Layers
Topography
Hydrography
Census
Highways
Places
The ability to
‘stack’ layers
in a GIS
allows us to
ask questions
about the
relationship
between
different
objects of
study
Image courtesy of Charlene Nielsen, Department of Biology, University of Alberta
19. Overlay
What two things occur at the same
location?
http://www.orthogate.com/guide/workshops/images/image002.gif
20. Overlay – GIS
What residences lie beneath this toxic
plume of ammonia?
27. Image created by Leah Vanderjagt, 2005: Data: NRCan CDED; City of Edmonton 2001 Digital Orthophotos
28. Modeling - Site Selection
Combining best conditions from
multiple layers to come up with the
best location for a proposed facility
Eg. Good slope drainage + enough
distance from streams + access to
roads = Best site
30. GIS Applications
GIS applications combine multiple
analytical processes to support
decision-making
Some examples from non-profit and
government sectors:
33. Health Care: Disease outbreak
monitoring and modeling
Dispersion of Avian Flu in Thailand
Affected and at-risk poultry farms
Avian Flu
http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/health/links/ma04184pf.htm
39. Other uses
Many groups still need to create
paper maps to support operations -
nearly always GIS-based
GIS is also used for storage of
information – there is an archiving
function
40.
41. Directions for GIS
WEB APPLICATIONS
Standards
Unlocking the GIS black box -
distributed experimentation and
collaboration
GIScience
42. GIS in Academic Institutions
GIS is used extensively in
science/ecology disciplines:
Renewable resources management
Forestry
Biology (ecology)
Geography
Earth and atmospheric sciences
Geology
43. GIS in Academic Institutions
Also used in:
Civil engineering
Business
Economics
History
Psychology
Health
…
46. Spatial data access
‘Map’ + ‘Attribute’ data is usually
referred to as spatial data
Locating the right spatial data and
obtaining the rights to use it is a
major component of every GIS
project
48. Spatial data quality: Projections
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/mapproj/gif/twoproj.gif
49. Spatial data access
Spatial data is expensive to create
and update
Government agencies and large
corporations can afford it
Data sharing is not necessarily a
part of the plan
50. Spatial data access
If it’s shared, spatial data is either sold
by the producer or by a designated
value-added reseller
Public consultations have resulted in
open sharing of more and more spatial
data sets at the federal level
Some federal data is made available
through the Depository Services
Program
52. Spatial data access
There is much more data available for
purchase
Therefore, there is a spatial data
economy in Canada
This economy is driven by cost-recovery
policies
Government agencies charge other
agencies, corporations, and individuals for
data access
53. Different models of access
United States – wide, very open
access to drive commercial
development
Canada – stewardship model of cost-
recovery
Provincial economy examples:
Manitoba
Alberta
54. Alberta Policy Environment
Government agencies: cost-recovery
sales
Third party vendors: data enhancers
and resellers for profit
Data producers who do not sell or
distribute their data
55. Challenges to Access
What is the result of Alberta’s policy
environment?
Data creators don’t have sufficient
resources to respond to individual
researcher demand
Data suppliers do not document or
support data products
Data suppliers’ primary business is
not data supply, ie. creating happy
data customers
56. Post-secondary Response
“Underground data economy” – have and
have-not departments at one institution
Some data creators provide data in
exchange for research results
Individuals or projects receive licenses for
data; cannot be shared with institution
Academic libraries began to acquire data
through license (database model)
Successful examples: NRCan, DMTI
57. GEODE
To address issues of access to spatial
data in Alberta, the GEODE project
was launched in 1999
Participating institutions:
University of Alberta
University of Calgary
SAIT
University of Lethbridge
Miistakis Institute for the Rockies
58. GEODE
Access to Alberta-based spatial data
Digital elevation models
Topographic data
Alberta Vegetation Index
Census boundaries
Landsat 7 imagery
Metadata development
Data browser
10,000+ files downloaded
59. Benefits to GIS Researchers
Consortium-wide access to high quality
data
Centralized price and acquisition
negotiations
The opportunity to work with industry-
standard Alberta data
60. Benefits to suppliers
One point of access for post-
secondary institutions
Data support coordinated through
library and departments
Institutional licensing
Training of future employees with
industry standard data
61. GEODE’s Transformation
GEODE was reconceived in late 2004
as a consortium – to facilitate and
promote access to spatial data for
post-secondary education in Alberta
Objectives:
Develop new funding strategies
Enhance contents of collection
Expand institutional membership
62. Benefits of institutional membership
Access to GEODE collections
Training and assistance with GEODE
service delivery
Advocacy and liaison with vendors
Cost-sharing
Technology/infrastructure guidance
Collaborative development of best
practices
63. GIS for Post-secondary Education
For access to spatial data for GIS
research and teaching to continue
and thrive in Alberta, academic
libraries need to collaborate to:
Develop spatial data collections
according to shared research priorities
Lobby for access with producers and
vendors
Share resources and expertise
64. Moving forward
Long-range technology goal:
database-driven web service delivery
of spatial data files
GEODE is seeking assistance with the
development of a province-wide
licensing model for spatial data use in
research and teaching
66. Web Citations
Google Local: www.google.ca
Google Earth: earth.google.com
BC Habitat Wizard:
maps.gov.bc.ca/imf406/imf.jsp?site=lib
c_habwiz
Sensitive Habitat Inventory and
Mapping:
www.shim.bc.ca/atlases/shim/shim.htm