Introducing Geographic Information Systems with ArcGIS: A Workbook Approach to Learning GIS, 3rd Edition

Preface

to the First Edition1

The purpose of Introducing Geographic Information Systems with ArcGIS is threefold.

1. To acquaint the reader with the central concepts of GIS and with those topics that are required to understand spatial information analysis.

2. To provide the person who works the exercises either (a) a considerable ability to operate important tools in the ArcGIS software or (b) a demonstration of other capabilities of the software.

3. To lay a basis for the reader to go on to the advanced study of GIS or to the study of the newly emerging field of GIScience, which might be described as the scientific examination of the technology of GIS and the fundamental questions raised by GIS.

Introducing Geographic Information Systems with ArcGIS is meant to serve as a text book for a standard one-semester course. It is suitable for a university, college, technical school, or advanced high school course, meeting for three hours per week. Between two and five additional hours per week are required for laboratory work, depending on the capabilities and computer experience of the students. The text may also be used for self-study.

The book, and any course taught from it, depend on having ESRI’s ArcGIS Desktop and Workstation software, version 9.0, 9.1, or higher, available. The assumption is that the students will have access to full the ArcInfo package offered to colleges and universities under the generous site license agreement that ESRI offers to educational institutions. ...