A GIS is an integrated system of computer software, hardware and data, and personnel to help manage, manipulate, analyse and present information that is associated with a location somewhere within a community of interest.
GIS can be utilised in many different ways which can be classified into the following types of use:
Mapping where things are
Mapping where things are lets you find places that have the features you are looking for and to see where to take action.
- Find a feature - People use maps to see where or what an individual feature is.
- Finding patterns - by looking at the distribution of features on the map instead of just an individual feature, you can see patterns emerge.
Mapping Quantities
People map quantities, such as where the most and least are, to find places that meet their criteria and take action, or to see the relationships between places. This gives an additional level of information beyond simply mapping the locations of features.
Mapping densities
While you can see concentrations by simply mapping the locations of features, in areas with many features it may be difficult to see which areas have a higher concentration than others. A density map lets you measure the number of features using a uniform areal unit, such as acres or square miles, so you can clearly see the distribution.
Finding what's inside
Use GIS to monitor what is happening and to take specific action by mapping what is inside a specific area. For example, the Gardai might monitor drug-related arrests to find out if an arrest is within 1,000 feet of a school-if so, stiffer penalties apply.
Finding what's nearby
Find out what is occurring within a set distance of a feature by mapping what is nearby. For example, a town planner may need to notify all residents within 500 metres of a proposed off-license store.
Mapping change
Map the change in an area to anticipate future conditions, decide on a course of action, or to evaluate the results of an action or policy.
- By mapping where and how things move over a period of time, you can gain insight into how they behave. For example, a meteorologist might study the paths of hurricanes to predict where and when they might occur in the future.
- Map change to anticipate future needs. For example, a police chief might study how crime patterns change from month to month to help decide where officers should be assigned.
- Map conditions before and after an action or event to see the impact. A retail analyst might map the change in store sales before and after a regional ad campaign to see where the ads were most effective.
