Geographic Information Systems and Science

**3**

**Chapter 1**

**1. Introduction**

of these data?

economic development.

on certain aspects of information transfer.

Introductory Chapter: Geographic

Information science can be defined as the science that investigates the properties and behavior of information, the forces that govern its flow, and the means of processing it. The process includes the origin, dissemination, collection, organization, storage, retrieval, interpretation, and use of information. Although this view is not consensual, one can state that there are several information sciences and they can be separated into two groups. The first group (e.g., librarianship, journalism, and communication) mainly studies the transfer of information and the second group (e.g., philosophy, sociology, and cognitive sciences, in general) focuses preferably

Nonetheless, it is not easy to think of a science in which at least one of its study objects does not consider the geographic space. However, it is evident that some areas today have appropriated the geographical information more than others have. Assuming that data (geographic or not) is a construction of the knowledge within a certain political, economic, and spatiotemporal context, then the question is how it is possible to set apart the geographical, or in a more broad sense the spatial, context

Spatial knowledge has long been critically important both in the development of human activities and in the understanding of how humankind interacts with space. The possibility of knowing the geographical location of a phenomenon, to establish relationships with other elements of the territory, to identify spatial patterns, or to make decisions based on their geographical examples of how spatial information and knowledge have over the years a preponderant role in social, political, and

The geographic information of the world is in a period of exponential development, sustained by the availability of new sensors, imageries, open georeferenced data and social media, and moving devices, allowing to produce new knowledge about that world and empirical geographical phenomena [1, 2]. Almost all the phenomena we face daily assume a territorial expression. Represent, analyze, and know the spatial dimension associated with these phenomena is one of the main

The continuous collection of geographic data of holistic nature and the analysis of its place in territory, i.e., location analytics, allows a more straightforward science [3] that can influence the creation and the use of geographic knowledge. This holistic point of view allows researchers to put questions that before were impossible [4]. Multidisciplinary approaches take along important knowledge about the

Just as the information science can be understood as a group, geographical science is a set of sciences interested on physical and/or human geographic processes.

challenges faced by the Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

adoption of system approach to information management.

Information Systems and Science

*Cláudia M. Viana, Patrícia Abrantes and Jorge Rocha*
