Table of Contents

Exploring Geographic Information Systems
by Nicholas R. Chrisman

Preface

Call for participation in an exploration
Organization of the Book

Acknowledgements
Table of Contents

Part 1: Building Blocks of Geographic Information

Chapter 1: Measurement Basics

Development of Geographic Information: The Convergence of Many Technologies
Defining a Geographic Information System
Basic Components of Geographic Information
Measurement: The Conventional View

Reference Systems

Chapter 2: Measurement Frameworks

Example of a Simple Measurement Framework: The Geographical Matrix
Control and Measurement
Attribute as Control: Isolated Objects to Connected Coverages

Isolated Object Framework

Spatial object framework
Isoline framework

Connected Coverage Frameworks & Topological Relationships

Network framework
Categorical coverage framework

Spatial Control

Point-based frameworks

Center point framework
Systematic unaligned

Area-based measurement frameworks

Extreme value
Total
Predominant type
Presence/ absence and percent cover
Precedence of types

Relationship Control

Measurement by pair
Triangulated Irregular Networks (TIN)

Composite Frameworks

Associating Attributes Indirect Measurement
Choropleth framework

Temporal Frameworks

Summary

Chapter 3: Representation

Primitives for Representation

Primitives for Attributes
Primitives for Space: Coordinates

Representation Models and Data Structures

Vector model

Representing isolated objects
Representing topological objects

Raster model

Conversion of Existing Documents (Digitizing)

Vector tracing
Raster scanners
Transforming Digitizer Measurements into Coordinates

Registration on device
Transformations from document to projection
Reference to geodetic surveys

Data Quality: closing the loop

Verification and Quality Control
After Digitizing

Generalization and scale-changing
Attaching attributes by geocoding
Temporal updates and changes

Summary

Part 2: Transformations and Operations

Chapter 4: Attribute-based Operations

Manipulating Attributes

Reducing the information content

Group
Isolate
Classify
Scale

Increasing the information content

Rank
Evaluate
Rescale

Combining pairs of input values

Crosstabulate
Sum and Difference
Rate and Density
Proportion
Performing combinations

Interaction of Attribute and Spatial Components

Spatial Consequences of Aggregation and Isolation
Cartographic Generalization

Summary

Chapter 5: Overlay Integrates Disparate Sources

Development of Map Overlay
The Overlay Operation

Registration: a Universal Requirement
Raster Implementations of Overlay
Vector Implementations of Overlay

Geometric intersection processing
Attribute handling using results of overlay

Comparisons of Performance and Capabilities

Overlay for Detecting Differences

Change Detection
Accuracy Testing
Interpreting Overlay Results

A Taxonomy of Overlay Combinations

Dominance Rules

Exclusionary screening
Exclusionary ranking
Highest bid/ Higest bidder

Contributory Rules

Voting tabulation
Weighted voting
Linear Combination
Weighting and rating
Non-linear combinations

Interaction rules

Integrated survey
Factor combination
Rules of combination

Summary of rules

Summary

Chapter 6: Distance Transformations

Examples of distance specifications

Exclusionary zones around features: Buffers and setbacks
Beyond buffers and setbacks

Distance measurement

Distance relationships
Constructing buffers with vector data
Measuring distance in a raster
Comparison

Generalized Voronoi Diagrams
Data Quality Aspects of Distance Relationships

Summary

Chapter 7: Surfaces and Near Neighbors

Surfaces

Topology of surfaces
Computing relationships on a surface

Slope from triangles
Slope from matrices

Neighborhood Operations: The Spatial Component

Neighborhood construction

Raster neighbors
Vector neighbors
Edge effects
Refinements of neighborhoods

Combining Neighborhood Attributes: A Taxonomy

Nominal attributes

Dominance rules
Contributory rules
Interaction rules

Operations based on ranking attributes
Continuous attributes

Aspatial treatment of continuous attributes in a neighborhood
Continuous attributes with horizontal measures

Data Quality Applications of Neighborhood Operations

Summary

Chapter 8: Comprehensive Operations

Iterative Operations

Viewshed
Cost Accumulation

An example of cost surface construction: A water pipeline

Drainage operations
Network operations

Location-Allocation Problems: A Family of Problems with a Common Approach
Tougher Problems

Statistical Modeling of Spatial Data

Chapter 9: Transformations

Prior Approaches to Transformations
Transformations for Surfaces

Interpolation

Interpolation from scattered points
Interpolation from isolines
Interpolation from a DEM

To and From Triangles
Network Information and Surfaces
Summary of Surface Transformations

A Taxonomy for Transformations

Transformation by Extraction (Case 0)
Transformations based on Attribute Assumptions (Case 1A)

Classification of remotely sensed imagery

Transformations based on Geometric Processing Only (Case 1N)
Complete transformations (Case 2)

Areal interpolation

Examples of Transformations

Dasymetric Mapping of Population Density
Wetland Regulation and Wasteland Assessment in Westport, Wisconsin (Area Cross-tabulation)
Forest Mapping for the United States (Resampling and Conversion of Imagery)

Summary of Transformations

Part 3: The Broader Context

Chapter 10: Evaluation and Implementation

Technical Evaluation

Data Quality Assessment

Measurement frameworks and accuracy
Strategy for testing

Allocation of Resources

Computer Resources
Financial Resources
Human Resources

Implementing a GIS

Needs assessment
Requirements analysis

Database design
Approaches to geographic measurement
Bidding process

Construction

Serving Larger Goals

Chapter 11: Social and Institutional Context

Technological Change in Historical Context
Geography of Geographic Information
Geographic Information in the Bureaucracy

Institutional continuity
Institutional definitions of time and history
Cooperation and coordination

Information in its Social Context

Equity
Access to Information
Balancing competing concerns

Information and Culture

Culture: Continuity and Change
The Practice of GIS

Summary


Bibliography
Sources and Credits
Index

Glossary (online, not in book)

Version of December 1996, as printed in first printing