Cartography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cartography - Essay Example Consequently, the capability of maps to visualize geographical information and the  geo-spatial  patterns, has made them to prominent in the  GIScience  study and process.    It was  Goodchild  who authored the concept of  GIScience  around the year 1992. He described  GIScience  as a Discipline of Science dealing with  GIS  technology and the obstructions affecting the scientific representation of  geo  spatial data.  Ã‚  Experts further elaborated on this concept and described the function of  GIScience  as addressing the fundamental research principles forming the basis of  GIS. It was also sought to be explained as application of  GIS  to solve scientific problems. From the research point of view, there is justification to conclude that visual representation of GIS data is a major concern of GIScience. These perceptions about the GIScience were further stretched by the books and journals which appeared during the beginning phase of the Sc ience. Maps aid in visual thinking and it would be logical to conclude that GIScience is the application of scientific methodology through maps to the research on GIS. While GIS attempts to represent Geo- spatial data in a methodical, and an intelligible manner through maps, GIScience attempts to address the problems arising in doing so, and further provides reference basis to interpret information represented in maps. GIScience  thus studies spatial representations in maps, map analysis and accuracy in map applications, map visualization, and other similar queries regarding use of maps for the benefit of the society. The significance of maps in the  GIScience  has automatically overlapped the traditional disciplines that deal with the Earth’s complete geographical study and environment. Further, the use of maps in  GIS  is not restricted to the above mentioned subjects, but they also deal with IT Cognitive Sciences besides dealing into artificial intelligence.  W hile it affects each of these sciences,  GIScience  and maps are not central to any of them. It is by itself a new kind of Collaborative Science involving researchers from diverse backdrops working mutually to resolve related problems. These problems being scientific in character and are also related to resource management, commerce, and administration, (Andrienko, and Andrienko, 1999)..    Referring to maps, they were the first tools to be used for representing, synthesizing, analyzing and interpreting geographical data. The rise of Geographical Information Systems has encouraged these functions further. The rigours and elaborate labour associated with the production of maps has now been reduced and there is the added convenience of being able to produce numerous versions of a map from different view points, just by clicking a specific option button or a click of the mouse. Experts haves cited the proliferation of maps, as a result of the emergence of the Internet and the Wor ld Wide Web (WWW). It may be argued also that the quality of such instant maps is no match to the product of the cartographer’s precise and painstaking labour, (Frerichs, 20001). Experts may argue that the precise and laborious map is not always a necessity for a quick grasp of a