Gis Final Review

Front 1

The Emergence of GIS has raised many legal and ethical issues. To what extent can GIS both support and undercut principles of freedom of information?

Back 1

- privacy issues are central to this:
- census data paired with geographical placement can threaten privacy
- many databases are open source though, which supports freedom of information
- issues of the amount of information gathered and who has access to it...

Front 2

The Modifiable areal unit problem is commonly cited as a difficulty faced when attempting to overlay data layers in a GIS. What is MAUP, and why does it cause problems for data integration?

Back 2

- the MAUP is a challenge that occurs during spatial analysis when the results differ when the same analysis is applied to the same data, but different aggregation schemes are used
- The scale effect: changes the scale of the aggregation units.
- zone effect: scale of analysis is fixed, but the shape of the aggregation units is changed

Front 3

What are sliver polygons and what consequences may their existence have on GIS analysis?

Back 3

- A small, narrow, polygon feature that appears along the borders of polygons following the overlay of two or more geographic datasets.
- Sliver polygons may indicate topology problems with the source polygon features, or they may be a legitimate result of the overlay

Front 4

What is the most suitable type of projection to use to map Canada? Why?

Back 4

The Lambert Conformal Conic (conformal and true to direction) or transverse mercator (conformal)

Front 5

PGIS is seen as a practive to incrase the quality of data as local knowldege of the target area is implemented into GIS application. However, there are some drawbacks to PGIS. What are they?

Back 5

1- Technical issue:
- demand technical assistance from GIS expert
- require basic equipment such as computers, printers, GIS softwares (which might not be available in remote places/ would be expensive in poorer countries)

2- organizational issue
- require capital from hosting community to purchase technology/ training
- some organization many not be able to pay such high cost, some organizations refuse to allow its community members to learn any mapping skills

3- cultural issue
- language barrier leading to a practice of 'not truly participatory'- where GIS expert does not implement local knowledge

Front 6

What are dissemination areas? How do they differ from census tracts/

Back 6

Both are areas (defined by population size) of averages of census data. Census tracts are larger sets made up of a certain number of DAs

Front 7

What is accomplished by "buffering" certain entities?

Back 7

its is used for proximity analysis- you can determine everything within a certain proximity of your base area or attribute

Front 8

How is an overlay operation used to integrate data?

Back 8

It integrates two different (but relatable) data sets by combining the two sets based off of boolean algebra to highlight commonalities or differences between the two layers

Front 9

is there ever a time when non-catographic output is more appropriate than the classical map?

Back 9

Yes- it depends on what your end goal is. For some analysis (such as determining the correlation between two attributes) a non-cartographic output, such as a graph is more appropriate

Front 10

What is classification and how do we know which one to use during our map making process?

Back 10

-Classification is the process of sorting or arranging entities into groups or categories- on a map by sorting the members with the same symbol
- it depends on what you want to highlight or group together

Front 11

What are re-production, transformation, and generalization?

Back 11

- the process of converting the coordinates of a map or an image from one system to another, by shifting, rotating, scaling skewing, or projecting them
- the abstraction, reduction, and simplification of features for change of scale or resolution

Front 12

What are the five ways you can show quantities on a map?

Back 12

- colour
- symbol sizes
- dot densities
- charts

Front 13

What is data quality in GIS? How is it measured?

Back 13

Measured by accuracy, precision, completeness, consistency (within and between sets)

Front 14

What is choropleth mapping and which are three basic problems that come with drawing this kind of map?

Back 14

A thematic map in which areas are distinctly colored or shaded to represent classed values of a particular phenomenon.
- classification error
- generalization

Front 15

What are the 3 main types of quantitative spatial methods?

Back 15

- measurements
- neighbourhood operations
- queries

Front 16

What is the Monte Carlo Simulation and how does it work?

Back 16

An algorithm for computing solutions to problems that contain a large number of variables by performing iterations with different sets of random numbers until the best solution is found. The Monte Carlo method is usually applied to problems too complex for analysis by anything but a computer.

Front 17

What is georeferencing and how is it applied?

Back 17

it is the alignment of geographic data to a know coordinate system so that it can be viewed, queried, and analyzed with other geographic data...it may involve shifting, rotating, scaling and skewing the data

Front 18

Describe the process of how a GIS process executed an interpolation, and name a tool that may use interpolation to create an output.

Back 18

- GIS uses surfaces values of surrounding points to estimate surface values of unsampled points. interpolation tools include spline and kriging

Front 19

What is fuzzy boundary?

Back 19

A boundary that has a vague or indeterminate location, or that is a gradual transition between two zones.

Front 20

What are the componants that define a datum?

Back 20

1.a spheroid
2.an initial reference point, or origin
3.azimuth from the origin to a second point
4.the orientation of the spheroid to the geoid (the distance separating the geoid and the spheroid at the origin, and it is usually zero)

Front 21

What are problems affecting vector and raster overlays

Back 21

The modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP), Ecological fallacy, Selecting threshold criteria, Visual Complexity

Front 22

Describe point and stream mode digitizing

Back 22

In point mode, you convert a feature on a paper map by digitizing a series of points, or vertices. ArcMap then connects the vertices to create a digital feature. You generally use point mode when precise digitizing is required—for example, when digitizing a perfectly straight line. Stream mode digitizing places a point at a given distance as you move the puck. You do not need to click to add each individual vertex.

Front 23

What does Multicriteria Evaluation (MCE) offer that standard overlays do not? how is it applied

Back 23

MCE allows map layers to be weighted to reflect their relative importance. 1.Allocation of weights. 2. Application of the MCE algorithm. 3. Standardization of criterion scores. 4. Selection of criteria.

Front 24

What is map overlaying and how does it change when working with Vector or Raster data?

Back 24

Overlay is a GIS operation in which layers with a common map base are joined on the basis of their occupation of space. Feature overlays from vector data are created when a polygon layer is placed over a feature layer containing points, lines, and/or polygons. This is done in order to illustrate the spatial relationship between the two layers of separate data. Raster overlay involves two or more different sets of data that derive from a common grid. The separate sets of data are usually given numerical values. These values then are mathematically merged together to create a new set of values.

Front 25

What is the calculate geometry and why isn't it availible for raster data

Back 25

Calculate geometry is a tool that allows you to calculate the area, length or perimeter of vector spatial data. Unable to do with raster because raster doesn't have spatial cell dimensions.

Front 26

What are neighborhood operations?

Back 26

Neighborhood operations are operations in raster GIS where the values of individual cells are altered on the basis of adjacency Filtering is one example of this.

Front 27

Which classification of interpolation method addresses the issue of a general formula for all points versus a formula for smaller subsets

Back 27

Global Interpolation vs Local Interpolation

Front 28

What are 3 methods of measuring distance?

Back 28

* Straight-line distance (as the crow flies: Pythagorean geometry) (V / R)
* Manhattan distance (grid road network) (V/ R)
* Proximity or buffer distance (V/ R)

Front 29

Two different types of queries that can be performed with GIS

Back 29

Spatial query - query by location. (which parks are near a school)
Aspatial query- query by attribute. (parks with 3 or more water fountains in them)

Front 30

Explain ecological fallacy.

Back 30

A logical fallacy in the interpretation of statistical data where inferences about the nature of individuals are deduced from inference for the group to which those individuals belong.

Front 31

How do Thiessen Polygons work and what are their purposes?

Back 31

Polygons generated from a set of sample points. Each Thiessen polygon defines an area of influence around its sample point, so that any location inside the polygon is closer to that point than any of the other sample points.

Front 32

The bigger the cell size, the greater the precision of resulting data when transforming from raster to vector? (T/F)

Back 32

False

Front 33

What is metadata? Where can we find it? What makes metadata so useful to us?

Back 33

Information that describes the content, quality, condition, origin, and other characteristics of data or other pieces of information. Metadata consists of properties and documentation. Metadata can be found in the properties of each layer file.

Front 34

What are the positive and negative aspect of neogreography as opposed to traditional GIS

Back 34

The general information provision model has changed from a centrally collected and brought together model into a networked participatory model. In spite of existing geospatial standards, difficult to obtain adequate documentation.

Front 35

When was the term neo-geography first used? In what context is it normally used?

Back 35

2006. It is used to describe user generated geographic content

Front 36

How can you show quantities in GIS maps

Back 36

Graduated symbols, Graduated colors, Charts, contours, 3D perspective

Front 37

What are two fundamental approaches to buffers?

Back 37

buffering for vector data, proximity for raster data

Front 38

What are overlays and why are they important in GIS. Possible Problems

Back 38

A spatial operation in which two or more maps or layers registered to a common coordinate system are superimposed, either digitally or on a transparent material, for the purpose of showing the relationships between features that occupy the same geographic space. Problems: Sliver polygons, resolution problems

Front 39

What is reclassification

Back 39

The process of taking input cell values and replacing them with new output cell values. Reclassification is often used to simplify or change the interpretation of raster data by changing a single value to a new value, or grouping ranges of values into single values

Front 40

Name three common data sources which, if found to have errors, will lead to errors in a GIS

Back 40

Survey data, remotely sensed and aerial photo data, paper map data

Front 41

Explain the difference between A and B, A or B, A Not B and A xor B

Back 41

A and B mean a query for something with attributes A and B
A or B means a query for something with attributes A or B

Front 42

Name the four data quality consideration that should be used if data sets are to be used in a GIS

Back 42

Completeness, Consistence, Accuracy, Precision

Front 43

What is MAUP and what problems can it cause in GIS

Back 43

Modifiable areal unit problem. A challenge that occurs during the spatial analysis of aggregated data in which the results differ when the same analysis is applied to the same data, but different aggregation schemes are used.

Front 44

Which three of the following questions may be best answered using a GIS?
What is the relationship between two variables?
How does a process operate?
Where do certain conditions apply?
What geographical patterns exist?
Where is a particular feature found?

Back 44

Where do certain conditions apply?
What geographical patterns exist?
Where is a particular feature found?
What is the relationship between two variables?

Front 45

Which of the following are characteristics of an RDBMS?Tables are linked by common data known as keys.
It cannot use SQL.
Data are organized in a series of two-dimensional tables each of which contains records for one entity.
Queries are possible on individual or groups of tables.
Keys may be unique or have multiple occurrences in the database.

Back 45

Tables are linked by common data known as keys.

Queries are possible on individual or groups of tables.

Data are organized in a series of two-dimensional tables each of which contains records for one entity.

Front 46

What is a 'tuple'?
1.Another name for the key linking different tables in a database.
2.A row or record in a database table.
3.An attribute attached to a record.
4.Another name for a table in an RDBMS.

Back 46

A row or record in a database table.

Front 47

Which of the following are features of the object-oriented approach to databases?
1.The ability to develop databases using natural language approaches.
2.The ability to develop more realistic models of the real world.
3.The need to split objects into their component parts.
4.The ability to develop database models based on location rather than state and behaviour.
5. The ability to represent the world in a non-geometric way.

Back 47

The ability to develop more realistic models of the real world.

The ability to represent the world in a non-geometric way.

The ability to develop databases using natural language approaches.

Front 48

In an OO database approach 'object = attributes + behaviour'. (T/F)

Back 48

False

Front 49

In an OO database objects may inherit some or all of the characteristics of other objects. (T/F)

Back 49

True

Front 50

What is a cartogram?

Back 50

A form of map where objects are drawn using non-Euclidean coordinates.

Front 51

What is a linked display?

Back 51

A set of graphs and maps where items are linked in separate displays.

Front 52

What does the abbreviation VRML stand for?

Back 52

Virtual Reality Modelling Language.

Front 53

Which of the following are important characteristics of a SDSS?
They do not require user intervention.
They incorporate spatially explicit models.
They are designed to handle exclusively spatial data.
They are designed to make full use of available data.
They are easy to use.

Back 53

They are easy to use.

They incorporate spatially explicit models.

They are designed to make full use of available data.

Front 54

What does the abbreviation AM/FM stand for?

Back 54

Automated Mapping and Facilities Management.

Front 55

When was CGIS born?

Back 55

1964

Front 56

Which of the following were influential figures in the development of GIS?
John Pickles.
Jack Dangermond.
Mike Goodchild.
Peter Taylor.
Roger Tomlinson.
Stan Openshaw.

Back 56

Stan Openshaw.

Mike Goodchild.

Roger Tomlinson.

Jack Dangermond.

Front 57

Early cartographic mapping packages produced topographic maps. (T/F)

Back 57

False

Front 58

What is meant by the term 'accuracy'?

Back 58

The extent to which a value approaches its true value.

Front 59

What is meant by the term 'precision'?

Back 59

The level of detail at which data is stored.

Front 60

Which of the following are important sources of error in cartographic products?
Scale.
Fuzzy boundaries.
Digitization.
Annotation.
Generalization

Back 60

Generalization.

Fuzzy boundaries.

Scale.

Front 61

Which of the following may be caused by error in manual digitizing?
Overshoot and undershoot.
Spikes.
Switch-backs.
Wobble.
Fuzzyness.

Back 61

Overshoot and undershoot.

Spikes.

Switch-backs.

Front 62

Which of the following errors may be introduced during rasterization of vector data?
Topological errors.
Reduction in resolution.
Creation of polygon inclusions.
Loss of small polygons.
Changes in polygon area and/or line length

Back 62

Loss of small polygons.

Changes in polygon area and/or line length.

Topological errors.

Front 63

Which of the following are important pieces of lineage information?
Location of the north arrow.
Resolution of the digitizer used.
The level of annotation in the source document.
Age of the source document.
Scale of the source document.
Name of the person doing the digitizing.

Back 63

Age of the source document.

Scale of the source document.

Resolution of the digitizer used.

Front 64

Bias is a consistent error through a dataset. (T/F)

Back 64

True