Читать книгу GIS Research Methods - Steven J. Steinberg - Страница 42

Probably the most important advantage of incorporating GIS into research methods is the ability to integrate different types of knowledge and information. Because GIS is built on a database platform (hence “information system” is a core part of its name), what we are really considering is an analytical software tool that allows us to work with any type of data, including quantitative and qualitative data, that can be coded and organized in database format. Data are not limited to coded text or numeric values but may also include digital files, such as sound recordings, digital images or video, or any other digital data, that can be stored in a computer for further analysis. Because of this, GIS programs can tell a story. Such features in the software greatly expand the usability of the software. Most important, when you have the ability to share information in a number of ways, visually and verbally, the potential impact can be much greater. Ultimately, many of the qualitative data collected in such studies can be, and usually are, coded in some fashion, either by hand or with the help of a data analysis software package. Much of the information that might be collected in the course of an interview, observation, or survey embeds some sort of geographic component.