Geographical Data: Characteristics and Sources

Walford

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471970859 ISBN 13: 9780471970859

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2002

Provides a comprehensive overview of the characteristics relating to remote sensing, cartography, censuses/surveys and administrative/statutory. Presents up-to-date information in this remarkable growth area, with clear explanations of the problems and pitfalls as well as the potentiality of analysing geographical data. An ideal book for both those already confident with GIS technology, and the novice user. Covers spatial and thematic worldwide geographical data Exemplifies the problems and pitfalls of using geographical data Provides introductory details of GIS without the need for a separate text Refers to the latest internet sources Covers geographical data relating to the environmental and human domains Focuses on digital geographical data

Review:

..".well conceived and contains much useful reference material..." (Int Journal of Geographical Information Science, January/February 2003)

From the Back Cover:

Geographical Data: Characteristics and Sources represents aresponse to the remarkable growth in the volume of geographicaldata in recent years, especially in the amount captured directlyinto a digital format. Information and communication technologiesare now the basis for analysing, handling and visualising dataabout the Earth's surface, and Geographical Information Systems(GIS) provide the tools for performing these tasks within thepublic, private and educational sectors. This book focuses on theprinciple sources of geographical data and provides a comprehensiveoverview of their characteristics and analytical capabilities.

Geographical Data: Characteristics and Sources is aunique text in several ways:

• Details the characteristics of spatial and thematicgeographical data relating to the environmental and human domains.These types of data are remotely sensed, cartographic, census/survey, and administrative/statutory
• Highlights the benefits and drawbacks of using geographicaldata
• Focuses on the availability of digital (rather than analogue)geo-referenced datasets
• Presents a comparative development of spatial data frameworksfrom countries across the world in Australasia, Asia, Europe andNorth America
• Looks to future developments in Internet-based GIS, onlineaccess and potential new sources of geographical data.

Geographical Data: Characteristics and Sources is intendedfor professionals within the administrative, commercial, educational, governmental and voluntary sectors, and academic usersof GIS technology who want to branch out into new applicationsinvolving unfamiliar data sources. It also provides novice userswith a guide to the complexities of geographical data.