GIS Beginner series (1/7):

How GIS Works

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) works by combining spatial data, software tools, and analytical techniques to manage, analyze, and visualize data with a geographic component. Here is a simplified overview of how GIS works:

1. Data Collection: GIS data can come from a variety of sources, including GPS devices, satellite imagery, surveys, and other data sources. This data is collected and stored in a GIS database.

2. Data Storage: GIS software organizes spatial data into layers or “themes” that represent different types of data, such as roads, buildings, or rivers. Each layer contains information about the location, shape, and attributes of the features.

3. Data Manipulation: GIS software allows users to manipulate spatial data in various ways, such as overlaying layers to create new maps, editing features, and conducting spatial analyses.

4. Analysis: GIS software provides various analytical tools to help users identify patterns, trends, and relationships in the data. Examples of analytical tools include spatial querying, buffering, and network analysis.

5. Visualization: GIS software allows users to visualize spatial data in various formats, such as maps, charts, graphs, and reports. Visualization tools help users communicate their findings to others.

Overall, GIS works by providing a powerful set of tools and techniques for working with spatial data. By combining different types of data and conducting spatial analyses, GIS can help users gain insights into the relationships between different geographic features and make better decisions based on that information.

Published by Juni Muchlis Mustafa, a GIS & IT Instructor at Udemy