Tda Gis Session1

8/18/2019 Tda Gis Session1

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RGS-IBG Online CPDcourse in GIS

Introduction to GISSession 1


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What this lesson covers?

• What is geographic information?

• Importance of GIS

• What are the existing types of GIS software

available to you.• Instructions on how to get set up for this course.


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What is GIS?

And why does it matter for teaching?

“Geographic Information Systems GIS! are fundamental tools forlearning geography. "hey provide a means of en#uiring into

geography through mapping. $y extending and deepening theway that maps are used to explore geographical issues% GIS can

re&emphasise the spatial dimension of geography% which is one ofthe de'ning characteristics of our sub(ect clarifying its uni#ue

role and importance in the school curriculum. )sing GIS thereforeencourages pupils to think spatially % or geographically .*

Source+ http+,,www.geography.org.u-,pro(ects,spatiallyspea-ing ,

http://www.geography.org.uk/projects/spatiallyspeaking/http://www.geography.org.uk/projects/spatiallyspeaking/http://www.geography.org.uk/projects/spatiallyspeaking/http://www.geography.org.uk/projects/spatiallyspeaking/


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What is GIS and why itmatters?

lmost everything happens somewhere and in most cases% -nowing wheresome things happen is critically important./xamples+

•0osition of country boundaries•ocation of hospitals•2outing delivery vehicles•3anagement of forest stands•llocation of funds for sea defenses

Geographical Information Systems are a special class of informationsystems that -eep trac- not only of events% activities% and things% but also of where these events% activities% and things happen or exist.

Geographic location is an important attribute of activities% policies%strategies% and plans.

Geographic problems involve an aspect of location% either in theinformation used to solve them% or in the solutions themselves.

Text source: Longley et al (2005) Geographic Information Systems and Science. 2nd Edition. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. (Chater !"# ages $!%&$!')


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What is GIS?

7ere are two de'nitions that can be useful for teachers+

Geographical Information Systems GIS! are a specialclass of information systems that keep track not onlyof events, activities, and things, but also of where these events, activities, and things happen or exist.

Source+ ongley et al 9::;! Geographic Information Systems and Science. 9nd /dition.


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5r. ; @holera outbrea- in ondonAs $road Street region

5r ;@holera outbrea- in ondonCs $roadStreet region.

In the 1>;:s% cholera was verypoorly understood and massiveoutbrea-s were a commonoccurrence in ma(or industrial cities.n outbrea- in ondon in 1>; in

the Soho district was typical of thetime% and the deaths it caused are

Source+ ;Dlge.htm

Text source: Longley et al (2005) Geographic Information Systems and Science. 2nd Edition. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. (Chater !"# ages $!%&$!')

Whenever we teach a session on the introduction to GIS% we startby telling my students the same story. In fact% it is the same story

that most lecturers in GIS tell their students because itsummarises the main points about GIS as a science & or at least inmy opinion.We are sure that many of you have heard this story before. So wewill tell it brieEy and give you some materials for further reading.


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5r ;C. "he ancet H;J99H! F>

• 9&9L;1>DH%::.html

•


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Is GIS about software only ?

Information systems help us to manage what we know% by ma-ing easy toorganise and store% access and retrieve% manipulate and synthesi8e% and apply-nowledge to the solution of problems.

But is GIS about computers only?

Some de'nitions of GIS focus on the hardware% software% data and analysis ofcomponents. 7owever% no GIS exist in isolation from the organi8ational context%

and there must always be people to plan% implement and operate the system aswell as ma-e decision based on the output.

Geographic Information System is not only about computers% software andelectronic data.

GIS is an organised collection of +

– 7ardware

–Software

– Ketwor-

– 5ata

– 0rocedures

– nd !eo!le"



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Geographical Information

Geographical Information is di6erent from other -inds of informationand therefore re#uires special methods to be analysed. 7ere aresome of the characteristics that ma-e geographical informationspecial+

•

3ultidimensional F at least two coordinates must be speci'ed tode'ne a location

• Qoluminous F a geographic database can easily reach a terabytein si8e

• 5i6erent 2epresentations & and how this is done can stronglyinEuence the ease of analysis and the end results

• 2e#uires pro(ection to Eat surface

• 2e#uires uni#ue analysis methods

• nalyses re#uire data integration

• 5ata updates are expensive and time consuming

• 3ap displays re#uire fast data retrieval



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"ypes of GIS

"here are a number of Geographical Information SystemsGIS! or GIS software! available today. "hey range from high&powered analytical software to visual web applications% andeach of those are used for a di6erent purpose.

5ue to the vast number of GIS available it is simply notpossible to provide training for each in this course. 7owever%there are common feature in all GIS. )nderstanding thesebasic features will give you con'dence with any GIS systemthat you use in the future.

"his course will cover three groups of GIS+•#eb-based GIS: RKS and ondon 0ro'ler

•Geobrowser+ Google /arth

•Des$to! GIS: rcGIS


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5es-top GIS

GIS% or GIS software% allows you to interactivelywor- with spatial data. des-top GIS is a mappingsoftware that needs to be installed onto and runs ona personal computer.

In this course% we will use rcGIS% which is developedby /S2I. rcGIS is what /S2I refer to as a suite ofproducts which can be tailored to your need. rcGISis used for a vast range of activities% covering both

commercial and educational uses. "he basic version of rcGIS is what we will be usingin this course and is all the ma(ority of GIS users willever need.


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Geobrowser

Geobrowser is better explained with reference to an internetbrowser% i.e. Internet /xplorer. In short% a geobrowser can beunderstood as an Internet /xplorer for geographic information.i-e the internet it allows the combination of many types ofgeographic data from many di6erent sources. "he biggestdi6erence between the World Wide Web and the geographicweb however is that everything within the latter is spatiallyreferenced.

Google /arth is the most popular geobrowser available andwill be the one used for this course.


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Web&based GIS

Web&based GIS% or WebGIS% are online GISapplications which in most cases are excellent datavisualisation tools. "heir functionality is limitedcompared to software stored on your computer% but

they are user&friendly and particularly useful as theynot re#uired data download.

"here are many WebGIS available% but in this coursewe will use two of them+ the R=ce of Kational

Statistics RKS! Keighbourhood mapping tool andthe ondon 0ro'ler.


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GIS 2esources

%urther readin&:

7eywood% I.% @ornelius% S. and S. @arver% 9:: Hrd /dition!% n Introduction toGeographical Information Systems 0rentice&7all!.

ongley% 0% et. al% 9::; 9nd /dition!% Geographic Information Systems and Science@hichester+ >1.html & "he International


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Software

/S2I F http+,,training.campus.com

Google /arth & http+,,earth.google.com,intl,en,userguide,v,tutorials,index.html

5igital Worlds & http+,,www.digitalworlds.co.u-,

Rrdnance Survey+http+,,www.ordnancesurvey.co.u-,oswebsite,education,mappingnews,previouseditions,HH,pH>&HJ.pdf

Data

Rrdnance Survey maps! & http+,,www.ordnancesurvey.co.u-

R=ce of Kational Statistics socio&economic variables! F http+,,www.statistics.gov.u-

/nglish Kature landcover datasets! &http+,,www.english&nature.org.u-,pubs,gis,GISD2egister.asp

$ritish Geological Survey small scale bedroc- and deposit maps! &http+,,www.bgs.ac.u-,products,digitalmaps,dataD9;-.html

/arth Science 5ata Interface satellite data! &http+,,glcfapp.umiacs.umd.edu+>:>:,esdi,index.(sp satellite data can be verydemanding to set up!

Streetmap useful postcode information! F http+,,www.streetmap.co.u-

GIS 2esources

http://training.campus.com/http://earth.google.com/intl/en/userguide/v4/tutorials/index.htmlhttp://www.digitalworlds.co.uk/http://www.digitalworlds.co.uk/http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/education/mappingnews/previouseditions/33/p38-39.pdfhttp://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/education/mappingnews/previouseditions/33/p38-39.pdfhttp://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/http://www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/gis/GIS_Register.asphttp://www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/gis/GIS_Register.asphttp://www.statistics.gov.uk/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/education/mappingnews/previouseditions/33/p38-39.pdfhttp://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/education/mappingnews/previouseditions/33/p38-39.pdfhttp://www.digitalworlds.co.uk/http://www.digitalworlds.co.uk/http://www.digitalworlds.co.uk/http://earth.google.com/intl/en/userguide/v4/tutorials/index.htmlhttp://training.campus.com/http://training.campus.com/


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$efore you start

ou will need to install rcGIS and Google /arth software intoyour computer before being able do go through the nextsessions of the course.

ou will also need to download data for the rcGIS exercises.

In the next slides you will 'nd speci'c instructions on how to+

1.Rrder your copy of rcGIS needed for sessions ;% and L!

9.5ownload the data for the exercises needed for sessions ;% and L!.

H.Install Google /arth needed for session !


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Software+ rcGISIn the case your school does not have a copy of rcGIS% you will need toobtain an evaluation copy of rcGIS : day trial only! in order to do theexercises in Sessions ;% and L.

We advise you to order the evaluation copy $/TR2/ you start the course%as it may ta-e some time before the software gets to you.

Tollow this lin-

http+,,www.esri.com,software,arcgis,arcview,eval,evaluate.html

Which will ta-e you to this page+

ou will then clic- on the2e#uest a "rial button aspointed in the image onthe right. "his will ta-e youto a page containing anelectronic form whichneeds to be completed andsent online.

lternatively% you can go straight into thefollowing lin-+


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rc GIS 5ata

ou will also need to download data in order to go through exercises usingrcGIS software Sessions ;% and L!. "he re#uired data is available inthe course website.

Tollow the instructions to download it to your computer+

1. @reate a folder on your computer where you will store all your GISwor-.

9. 5ownload 2GS&GIS 5ata from the stimulus page and save it to thefolder above.

H. )n8ip the 'le (ust double&clic- on the 8ip 'le or folder double&clic- onthe executable 'le!. Rnce you open the 8ip 'le or folder% it should open

(ust as if it were a regular 'le or folder on your computer.lternatively you might need to install a piece of free software to un8ip the 'le go

to http+,,www.win8ip.com,downw8.htm and clic- on the Bget winip freeC button or similarlyhttp+,,www.L&8ip.org, !.

. ll the data is grouped by session,exercise.


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Software+ Google /arth

Google /arth must be installed in your computer in order to do theexercises in Session . Google /arth is freely available. "o downloadGoogle /arth go to+

http+,,earth.google.com,download&earth.html

"he lin- will ta-e you to this page+

In order to start thedownload% clic- on the greeand 5ownload button% asshown in the picture on the

right in red.

In this same page% you willalso 'nd lin-s to tutorials andmovies demonstrating Google/arth capabilities. "hese are

highlighted in green in thepicture on the right.


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ou are ready to startU

Rnce you have followed the B$efore you startCinstructions% you are ready to start the courseU

Kow all you have to do is to follow the sessions%from 9 to >.

0lease note that you must follow the order ofsessions% as they were designed as a step&by&stepprogress towards building con'dence with GIS.

/n(oyU

Tda Gis Session1

Documents

Transcript of Tda Gis Session1