Geographers and GIS development

According to the Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee, Geographical Information System (GIS) is a "system composed by hardware, software and proceedings, which afford to acquire, manage, manipulate, analyse, present and show georeference data, to solve complex problem of planning and management". GIS must be a structured system from which we can extract easily a synthetic plan for managers who take decision. All GIS present geographic information due to studying of a variable which has a geographic repartition. Besides, results are often maps. But even if the G of GIS is a reference of geography, today, many people using a GIS do not know. Geographic analysis is absent of many GIS. What is the position of geographers in GIS development?

There are different uses of GIS. We find a part of GIS users in research and teaching in schools and universities. But today a large part of implementation of GIS is in organizations which are public or private. In these organizations, GIS users are multiple. But geographers are in minority in most of them.
Some users just need to see analysis’ results and search an easily comprehension of the software. But others need complete software with an important number of functions. They use this software everyday and do not have difficulties with comprehension. They are also users who sometimes work with simple GIS, they just want simple software which offers few functions but easy to remember. Today implementation of GIS in an organization is more often a replacement from an old to a new system than a real implementation in enterprise. Often it is the same enterprise which installs software and helps for conversion of old documents and it is also its which has a work of maintenance. Here geographers are absent of this part of GIS. It is the world of engineer and specialist of hardware and software. And conception of GIS is an engineering work. So geographer are absent from an important part of GIS use.

Uses of GIS are various in organizations. Ten years ago, intensive debates animated geographers. Do these applications of GIS be predicted by different minds?

In the 1990s, position of GIS in geography was debated. GIS was in the scientific landscape since twenty years but growth of GIS was in 1980s. In 1990s GIS began a significant subject in geography. The first question was about future of GIS; if it was just a fashion subject or something which had a fundamental impact of geography’s discipline. It is clear that GIS introduces some consequences in geography. Conception of maps was easiness by computing. GIS helps geography’s research to analyse some complex phenomena. We can take a lot of data, a small area or the world. We can overlay different variables. We can also after a statistic treatment use another function. We can compare data from different period. So GIS is a tool which helps us in technical aspects. Why some geographer refused GIS. And why it would be problematic. GIS came in continuity with more and more computing but uses of GIS exceed theoretical borders of discipline of geography. It is a tool for all science, and the geographic distribution of a variable can be a great help to phenomenon’s explanation in a hard science or a social science. So GIS influences geography with other contributions.
The debate to know if GIS is a tool or a science is probably not finished. The way of teaching GIS gives position of GIS. In geography studies, GIS are often taught in undergraduate level. Students work some exercises to dread one or two software. GIS course is similar to statistic course or remote detection. So student has a basic level in GIS and can use one for essay during his/her studies. Every master in geography does not have GIS courses. And a master in geography where we learn only around GIS subject is rare. But GIS is important in urban planning and other subject of planning. And more and more job opportunities request knowledge of GIS. So GIS cannot be ignored in geography. But toolmaking is not a part of the discipline of geography. GIS’ developers have knowledge in mathematic, engineering, design. Sometimes we see the word GIScience. This idea of using GIS for solve problems is particular and perhaps consequence of GIS’s use like a machine where we put variables and distributed data and we obtain at the end a solution of one problem in territory. GIS is a tool from which we cannot separate analyse and geographers have an excellent understanding of the geographic concept.
It is not the role of GIS in geography but role of geography in GIS which have an importance. Border between science and tool is really difficult to evaluate and often it is impossible to separate these two concepts. GIS is not only for geographers and GIS becomes a big business. Toolmaking is already passed from universities to private enterprises. GIS gives opportunity to geography discipline. GIS confers rigor, precision, legitimacy for public opinion. Geography becomes more illustrated with computerize. Public see more and more map to explain phenomenon in newspapers, Internet… And the question is redefined at how geographers want participate in GIS development.

Debates of the 1990s gave some interesting ideas in GIS thought. Today GIS are already a subject of some discords. And in these new prospects what can be the role of geographers?

GIS development continues today and we find new problems and some former but persistent. The increasing of data is huge. The enormous resources of information are new challenge when ten years ago problem was with poor database. With Internet more and more data are free and it is easy to find data and work in different software. But public is afraid by this possibility to have a look so easily about information that it concerns. In France, the intensive debate around Edwige is an illustration.
A GIS gives a result but interpretation is important for use. It is the same problem that for a map. We can say what you want with a GIS. So analyses of GIS are a step that we need for decision-making. We describe two types of use for a GIS: one by geographer who misses computerize science and another by engineer who misses geographical knowledge. The role of geographer can be in this step.

The ruling of geography in GIS development is limited in area of teaching and research and is absent in many organizations. Debates of the 1990s changed. The fight around GIS as a tool or as a science is over but not resolved. Perhaps that geography did not take position itself in GIS development. New geographic perspective in GIS development is reduced by these latest years. GIS are common in the discipline but the part of geography in GIS development is reduced. Geography can take a role to ameliorate quality of GIS. The next improvements in GIS would be to ameliorate quality of analyses for organizations and for public. GIS must not only accessible but also transparent and readily intelligible.