Recent spatial_ucsb_ncgia_crrip items

Approved Research Initiatives, 1988 - 1995

Mon, 21 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The research initiatives by NCGIA are described briefly in this brochure. They include I-1 Accuracy of Spatial Databases; I-2 Languages of Spatial Relations; I -3 Multiple Representations; I-4 Use and Value of Geographic Information; I-5 Architecture of Very Large Spatial Databases; I-6 Spatial Decision Support Systems; I -7 Visualization of the Quality of Spatial Information; I -8 Formalizing Cartographic Knowledge; I-9 Institutions Sharing Geographic Information; I-10 Spatio-Temporal Reasoning in GIS; I-12 Integration of Remote Sensing and GIS; I-13 User Interfaces for GIS; I -14 GIS and Spatial Analysis; I-15 Multiple Roles for GIS in U.S. Global Change Research; I-16 Law, Public Policy, and Spatial Databases; I-17 Collaborative Spatial Decision Making; and I-19 The Social Implications of How People, Space, and Environment are Represented in GIS.

The National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis—Illustrated Report

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This illustrated brochure provides a report on the National Center for Geographic Information and its activities in the period 1 December 1988 through 30 December 1994. It features the Center's primary research initiatives; its role as a clearinghouse for disseminating information in support of GIS research, teaching, and applications; and its activities in education on behalf of curriculum development and support for teachers and professional training. Separate sections describe the personnel associated with the project, the unique research associated with each of the three institutional partners (UC Santa Barbara, SUNY at Buffalo, and the University of Maine) and the collaborative activities that link these partners for the fulfillment of common objectives.

Short Summaries of Key NCGIA Research Results

Sat, 12 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Summaries of the principal research findings of NCGIA research over the period December 1988 - December 1997 are provided. The summaries treat developments in handling complex spatial relations, spatial error and uncertainty, public participation GIS, automated map generalization, spatial dependence, and standards for large geographic databases.

NCGIA Annual Report, Year 2

Wed, 9 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This document reports on the second full year of operation (Dec 1989 - Nov 1990) of the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis. Two research initiatives (Accuracy of Spatial Databases and Language of Spatial Relations were completed in Fall 1990.

Four new research initiatives began in year two (Multiple Representations; Use and Value of Geographic Information; Design and Implementation of Large Spatial Databases; and Spatial Decision Support Systems.

NCGIA Annual Report, Year 4

Wed, 9 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

A strategic planning exercise was conducted in year 4, leading to the adoption of a new mission statement that became the basis for a renewal proposal submitted to NSF in November, 1991.

The new mission of NCGIA was to promote the advancement of geographic research of lasting and fundamental significance. Specifically, to: 1) Advance the theory, methods, techniques and applications of geographic analysis based on geographic information systems (GIS) in the many disciplines and professions involved in geographic research; 2) Augment the nation’s supply of experts in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Geographic Information Analysis (GIA) in participating disciplines; 3) Promote the diffusion of analysis based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) throughout the scientific community and provide a conduit for disseminating information regarding GIS research, teaching, and applications; and 4) Interact with individual researchers and organizations on a national and...

NCGIA Annual Report, Year 8

Wed, 9 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This document reports on the Center’s eighth full year of operation. Two major new research initiatives were begun, on GIS and Society: The Social Implications of How People, Space, and Environment are Represented in GIS, and Formal Models of the Common-Sense Geographic World. Education programs continued to be directed to K-12, GIS in the community colleges, and the development of new curriculum materials in GIS and remote sensing. Two additional collaborative projects were initiated under the Collaborative Grants program, and the Visiting Scholars program continued to support the work of visiting researchers at NCGIA sites. The program of collaboration with the European Science Foundation’s GISDATA program continued, and the second joint Summer Institute for Young Scholars was held in Maine.

In 1995, a new proposal, “Advancing Geographic Information Science,” was submitted to NSF on behalf of NCGIA. A three-year progam will commence in February 1997.

The new...

NCGIA Annual Report, Year 6

Wed, 9 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This document reports on the Center’s sixth full year of operation (Dec 1993 - Dec 1994). Four research initiatives were completed: Spatial Decision Support Systems; Visualizing the Quality of Spatial Information; Integration of Remote Sensing and GIS; and User Interfaces for GIS. One major new research initiative was begun, on Law, Policy, and Spatial Databases; and a second was in the advanced stages of planning for its specialist meeting on Multiple Roles for GIS in U.S. Global Change Research). Education programs continued to be directed to K-12, with teacher workshops and the development of instructional materials, and a new initiative promoting GIS in community colleges began. The Center held its first Summer Institute for researchers. The program of collaboration with the European Science Foundation’s GISDATA program was in full swing, and planning began for a 1995 joint summer institute with the Europeans in Maine. All of the developments are reviewed in this report.

NCGIA Annual Report, Year 5

Wed, 9 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Key features of NCGIA's renewal from NSF are presented in this report, including a new collaborative funding program to broaden the participation by institutions across the country and expanded opportunities for visiting scholars at the NCGIA host institutions.

In year 5 (Dec 1992- Nov 1993), two research initiatives were completed -- Spatial Decision Support Systems and Visualizing the Quality of Spatial Information. Active initiatives going into year 6 were: Formalizing Cartographic Knowledge; Institutions Sharing Spatial Information; Spatio-Temporal Reasoning in GIS; Integration of Remote Sensing and GIS; User Interfaces for GIS; and Spatial Analysis and GIS. In addtion to reports on these initiatives, the Center's progress in promoting GIScience education is elaborated upon in the report.

NCGIA Annual Report, Year 7

Wed, 9 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This document reports on the NCGIA's seventh full year of operation. Three research initiatives were completted in 1995: Formalizing Cartographic Knowledge; Institutions Sharing Geographic Information; and GIS and Spatial Analysis. Two major new research initiatives were begun, on Multiple Roles for GIS in US Global Change Research and on Collaborative Spatial Decision-Making , and a third was in the advanced stages of planning for its specialist meeting--GIS and Society: The Social Implications of How People, Space, and Environment are Represented in GIS, the first NCGIA research initiative to be planned mostly outside the center's three institutions. Education programs continued to be directed to K-12, GIS in the community colleges, and the development of new curriculum materials in GIS and remote sensing. Two collaborative projects were initiated under the Collaborative Grants program, and the Visiting Scholars program continued to support the work of visiting researchers at...

NCGIA Annual Report, Year 1

Sun, 6 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This report describes the activies of the Center in its first year to carry out its primary mission for "basic research on geographic analysis utilizing GIS." This research focused on improved methods of spatial analysis and advances in spatial statistics; ' a general theory of spatial relationships and data base structures; artificial intelligence and expert systems relevant to the development of geographic information systems; visualization research pertaining to the display and use of spatial data; and social, economic, and institutional issues arising from the use of GIS technology. It also identifies the Center's steps to "augment the nation's supply of experts in GIS and geographic analysis in participating disciplines; promote the diffusion of analysis based on GIS throughout the scientific community; and provide a central clearinghouse for disseminating information regarding research, teaching, and applications."

User Interfaces for Geograhic Information Systems—NCGIA Research Initiative 13, Closing Report

Mon, 24 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

NCGIA Research Initiative 13 addressed human-computer interaction and related issues in the design and implementation of user interfaces for GISs and other geographical software packages. Its goals and outcomes, reviewed in this report, were 1) to investigate ways for people to interact with computers when solving problems concerning geographic space and spatial phenomena; 2) in particular, to model some of the ways in which factors such as disciplinary background and training, problem domain, culture, natural language, and individual differences, influence human-computer interaction involving geographic information; 3) to establish criteria and methods for the design of GIS user interfaces, and user interfaces for other geographic software; and 4) to develop and test prototypes of GIS interfaces and interface development tools.

GIS and Spatial Analysis—NCGIA Research Initiative 14, Closing Report

Mon, 24 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This report describes the results of NCGIA Research Initiative 14 on “GIS and Spatial Analysis.” This initiative focused on the interface between these spatial statistical problems and geographic information systems, a major goal being to advance the capabilities of GIS in facilitating spatial statistical analyses.

Institutions Sharing Geographic Information—NCGIA Research Initiative 9, Closing Report

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This report describes the results of NCGIA Research Initiative 9 on Institutions Sharing Geographic Information. The initiative was active during the period June 1992–summer 1994. Its focus was to identify and understand the behavioral and organizational impediments and incentives to the sharing of geographic information within different kinds of geographic-information-user environments. Distinctions were drawn between the protocols that facilitate sharing among decision makers in the public and private sectors, and among scientists. Consideration was also given to the types of spatial data shared and the types of problems addressed by decision makers. Spatial metadata was seen as a critical priority for enhancement of the sharing of geographic information.

Multiple Representations—NCGIA Research Initiative 3, Closing Report

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This report describes the results of NCGIA Initiative 3 on Multiple Representations, carried out in the period 1988-1990. Use of the term "Multiple Representations" refers to changes in geometric and topological structure of a digital object that may occur with the changing resolution at which that object is encoded for computer storage, analysis, and depiction. The implications of changing levels of resolution are important considerations in cartographic representations that figured prominently in the research reviewed in this report.

Use and Value of Geographic Information—NCGIA Research Initiative 4, Closing Report

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This report describes the results of NCGIA Research Initiative 4 on Use and Value of Geographic Information, carried out in the period May 1989–summer 1991. The report features the outcomes of activities related to the objectives of the initiative, to: 1. Identify primary and subsequent users of spatial information, and determine the value of such information; 2. Develop and test models of the decision-making process regarding land use, focusing on the role of geographic information; 3. Identify problems of dealing with risk and uncertainty associated with decision making; and 4. Evaluate the direct and indirect benefits of geographic information analysis and geographic information systems.

Spatial Decision Support Systems—NCGIA Research Initiative 6, Closing Report

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

NCGIA's Research Initiative 6 is concerned with the integration of geographic information systems and geographic information analysis to support problem-solving and decision-making. This Initiative was active from March 1990 until April 1993. This report describes the Center's research activities relating to the design and implementation of prototype systems that link geographic information systems and geographic information analysis. These included applications in retailing, marketing, socioeconomic modeling, and environmental modeling. The breadth of application areas is consistent with the pressing needs of environmental scientists and society in general to apply new spatial technologies to fundamental problems.

Languages of Spatial Relations—NCGIA Research Initiative 2, Closing Report

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This report describes the results of NCGIA Research Initiative 2 "Languages of Spatial Relations". It compares the background and objectives of the initiative as originally planned with the understanding of the problem following the work carried out during the initiative. It then assesses the work in detail against five criteria: 1. Research Accomplished; 2. Research Agenda Development; 3. Contribution to GIS Education; 4. Implications for Science Policy; and 5. Comments on the Research Initiative Process. These criteria are applied to the initiative's research objectives to:

1) Identify formal cognitive/semantic models of spatial concepts and relations in natural language;

2) Develop reliable methods for determining reference frames for spatial language;

3) Construct formal mathematical/logical models of spatial concepts and relations based on topology and geometry; and

4) Integrate the two kinds of formal models into a general theory of spatial relations.<...

Visualization of the Quality of Spatial Information—NCGIA Research Initiative 7, Closing Report

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This report describes the results of NCGIA Initiative 7 on Visualization of the Quality of Spatial Information over the period 1990-1993. Major scientific outcomes of the initiative include linkage of error models and error propagation with visualization techniques, integration of communication theories into data quality acquisition and presentation, development of object-oriented approaches to data quality organization, and several novel graphical schemes for data quality display.

NCGIA Annual Report, Year 3

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This document reports on the third full year of operation of the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis. Two new research initiatives have begun, in Visualization of the Quality of Spatial Information, and User Interface Design for GIS. A series of new reports have been released in support of GIS education, including several volumes of lab exercises. Substantial additional support has been generated from external agencies at all three sites, and the Center continues to receive grants of hardware and software. Numerous outreach activities have drawn attention to the existence of the Center, and helped to promulgate its research findings and other contributions, particularly among the software developer and vendor community, and the level of awareness and acceptance of the Center’s contributions in the external community has continued to grow. The Center continues to support a high level of external involvement in many of its activities. Finally, the Center has...

Architecture of Very Large GIS Databases—NCGIA Research Initiative 5, Closing Report

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

NCGIA Research Initiative 5 explored the Architecture of Very Large GIS Databases. This report covers research activities in this area over the period July 1989–August 1992. Central attention is given to problems relating to the storage, access, processing, and analysis of spatially indexed data processing. This report highlights how such datasets require radically new approaches to spatial data models, spatial data structures, algorithms, and user inter-faces.

Accuracy of Spatial Databases—NCGIA Research Initiative 1, Closing Report

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This report describes the results of NCGIA Initiative 1 on the Accuracy of Spatial Databases. It begins with a discussion of objectives and the process of developing a research agenda. Each of the seven major areas of the research agenda is discussed, and research activities of the center during the active period of the initiative (1988-90) and since its completion are described. The report ends with an assessment of the initiative against five criteria.