Chapter 1: Chapter 1 was meant to explain the basics of GIS, mapping, and spatial analysis. I know very little about GIS, so I found this chapter to be extremely helpful in clarifying what it is meant for and how it can be used in my field. I did not realize how many different things you could map and that there were multiple different methods of mapping something using GIS. I found learning about the different features, “discrete,” “summarized by area,” and “continuous phenomena,” to be the most interesting because each of them is unique and has its own methods and distinct uses. The chapter then dives into the two methods of representing geographic features. The first is vector models, where each feature is put in a table using x and y coordinates. Vectors have harsher lines, and each area is defined by a border. On the other hand, rasters are defined by their cells. There are no harsh lines, and they are often layered. I found the example maps showing the difference between vectors and rasters the most beneficial part of this chapter. Seeing a side by side comparison helped me understand when it is best to use what and emphasized the differences between them. One thing I had not considered or realized would be a problem is trying to map large areas. Due to Earth being spherical, large mapping systems can become distorted, and misshapen. This was interesting to read about and I will definitely keep it in mind when mapping throughout the semester. One of the last things chapter one talked about was attribute values. The book gave examples of each value, when they are used, what they are best used for, and what mapping them should look like. Lastly, the chapter starts to explain how to work with data tables in the GIS system.
Chapter 2: Chapter 2 starts by asking why it is important to map where things are. It explains that mapping individual features can be useful, but mapping an entire area is important for learning more information about the area as a whole. They gave the example of mapping an entire area based on crime rates so that police know which areas need the most attention. I found this interesting because I had not considered that police and other law enforcement jobs would use GIS to help them. The purpose of this entire chapter was to answer common questions about mapping and help clarify when it is best to use different parts of the GIS system. Something I noticed while reading was that most of the problems that arise when using GIS come from human error rather than problems with programming. I am glad that this is something that is acknowledged because it helped me understand how important it is to take your time when inputting data, assigning values, assigning coordinates, and so on. I was also impressed by how many different things you can do with GIS and the fact that you can layer things so that one map provides multiple types of information. Reading about how regrouping the same data in different ways was not only interesting but also a testament to how many things you can do with GIS. Something I am still struggling with is what the codes mean for information. I feel that I am still confused about some of the technicalities that come with mapping. Overall, I found this chapter extremely helpful because it provided a lot of information and went more in-depth with different features you can utilize while mapping.
Chapter 3: The last chapter this week starts by examining a more narrow topic than the two previous chapters. It focused on mapping the most and least of something. It is most useful to map the most and least to understand relationships between places, and see if a specific place meets your specific criteria. Through all three chapters this week I found the example maps to be the most useful to me. Reading about mapping is helpful but being provided a visual helped me understand the content significantly better. Mapping quantities was a term that I found very important. Quantities are the amounts or numerical values you need to be able to map something correctly. The next important topic in Chapter 3 was classes. Classes are when similar features are assigned a matching symbol so it is easier to see what the map will look like. You can do this manually or with a classification scheme. It is also beneficial to compare different schemes to find out which one would be best for your specific map. The section that compares the different schemes and explains each of their uses helped me a lot with understanding classes as a whole. A lot of the information in this chapter reminded me statistics. The classes, quantities, and outliers all reminded me of graphing for stats. The most important takeaway I took from the assigned reading this week came from the “making a map” section of this chapter. It laid out numerous examples, the advantages and disadvantages of each type and what each type is most used for. Since there are so many terms and things to remember when it comes to GIS, I think I will end up utilizing this chapter throughout the semester. This chapter incoorporated the terms introduced in the two previous chapters and brought it all together.