Читать книгу GIS Research Methods - Steven J. Steinberg - Страница 30

To best understand a GIS, you need to understand GIS terminology and how GIS apply to various analysis situations. In particular, how can your area of interest and the associated data be placed into a GIS context? How can GIS technology enhance your analysis and understanding of data? You can use GIS to study issues with real data as well as conceptual data. The concept of space exists in different dimensions: the actual and the perceived. Space is defined as distance and time between locations and is often used to determine position. For example, an interview script asking individuals about their homes, communities, relationships, or other interactions inevitably will include phrases such as “in our neighborhood,” “around the corner,” or “over in the next valley.” While investigating social relationships, you might come across examples of conceptual geography. For example, the strengths of social ties between individuals might be represented in statements such as “I’m very close to my younger brother” or, conversely, “We found ourselves drifting further apart with each passing year.” These statements, although not tied to physical locations, nonetheless may be mapped and analyzed using many of the same techniques that one might apply in traditional GIS analysis.