The Nature of Geographic Information

Resource Description

The Nature of Geographic Information is an orientation to the properties of geographic data and the practice of distance learning. The purpose of this course is to promote an understanding of the Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIS&T) enterprise. GIS&T is the intersection of professions, institutions, and technologies that produce geographic data and render information from it. It is a rapidly growing and evolving field. Learning is a way of life for all GIS&T professionals. With this in mind, I hope that this text may contribute to your lifelong exploration of how geospatial technologies can be used to improve the quality of life—yours and your neighbors', locally and globally, now and in the future.

This course is no longer being offered for credit and has not been updated since 2017.

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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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View the entire resource online here: The Nature of Geographic Information

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David DiBiase

David is an educator and lifelong student of what the U.S. Department of Labor calls the “Geospatial Technology Industry.” He's taught for Penn State University since 1989 and founded its “World Campus” online certificate and master’s degree programs in GIS. In 2011 David joined Esri to lead its Education Industry and Business Development teams. In that role he gained a broader perspective on the industry and the global education and training infrastructure that supports it. David was editor-in-chief of the first editions of the GIS&T Body of Knowledge and the Department of Labor’s Geospatial Technology Competency Model. He also led the NSF-funded GIS Professional Ethics project.

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