What is GIS?

The acronym GIS is used to refer to either Geographic Information Systems or the field of Geographic Information Science. At Clark, we use to term to refer to both.

A Geographic Information System consists of a database of spatial information (such as digital map data and satellite imagery) along with specialized software for the management, display and analysis of those data. GIS technology has grown enormously over the past 30 years, to the point where it is ubiquitous in the mapping, analysis and management of spatially distributed resources. GIS software is in daily use in areas as diverse as urban systems management, regional planning, emergency response, epidemiology, landscape architecture, environmental planning, forestry, geology, ecology, park management, power utilities, and the like.

Geographic Information Science (sometimes abbreviated GISci) has grown out of the development of Geographic Information Systems as a technology. As GIS has developed, so too has the scientific expertise needed to support its development and continued activity. It is a sub-field of Geography concerned with the development and utilization of Geographic Information Systems. Thus it is concerned with all facets of the acquisition, storage, analysis and communication of geographic information. In addition it conducts primary research on the manner in which we acquire knowledge from spatially referenced data. Note that in some countries, the term Geomatics is virtually synonymous with Geographic Information Science.