ABSTRACT
Geographic information systems (GIS) are being widely used as decision-support tools to understand the spatial dimension of data and its linkages to nearby phenomenon on Earth. In the information age as consumers demand more from raw data than just numbers and texts, maps can be powerful means by which information about space and people can be communicated to better understand the impact of our decisions about people and places. As an enabler of sorts, GIS makes mapmaking a process by which new information is revealed and explained through computer systems (hard drive, software, and plotter or printer) and spatially referenced data (geographical data) for management and analysis of various tasks. Such interest and focus has been possible with higher computer processing capabilities, surge in the internet usage and its impact on information gathering and dissemination. By adding the spatial dimension to any data (addressing the location of the data), GIS allows far better understanding of the characteristics of the data and how it may be related to other variables that are in proximity to the geo-referenced data* in question. Whereas statistical analysis may reveal nuances between and within variables (quantitative or qualitative) in a model, a map of location-specific data concisely communicates spatial distribution, enabling the viewer to better understand patterns and relationships through scenarios (of maps). Such an understanding of data becomes critical in many management, planning, and policy decisions.
