Research, Data, and a View of the World
There are as many ways to find answers to scientific questions as there are researchers. In fact, two researchers, each approaching the same problem, may very well attack it from completely opposite points of view. And what's more, they may both come up with very similar results! Despite the variations in approach, all researchers have at least one thing in common: all researchers collect data. And then they modify the variables and collect more data. Lots of data. In fact, the underlying process of scientific research is the identification of the relationships between experimental variables and data points. For example, a collection of measurements of plant heights and of rainfall tells you nothing. It is only when you determine the relationship between the two sets of data that you can determine the effect of rainfall on the growth of plants.
Determining these relationships is not always a simple matter. Although with only one or two variables, and a few data points, it can be relatively easy to identify relationships, the process gets increasingly difficult as the number of variables and data points increases. In addition, it's not always possible to know ahead of time what relationships to look for. Sometimes, simply looking at data in a novel manner - "shuffling" it,- or adding another layer of new data points relating to a new variable, will provide a new view which yields lots of new and interesting information.
The processes of adding to or "shuffling" data are not always easy. The harder it is to present the data in the first place, the harder it will be to re-present it. This means that potentially valuable relationships may not be recognized. The freedom to shuffle and add or subtract data sets, without the restrictions caused by difficulties in creation of new presentations, potentially allows much more thorough and creative data analyses. The following paper, by AE Fellow Randy Raymond, describes his experiences with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - a computerized map-based system for data presentation and analysis. Read Randy's paper, then use your America Online Web browser to go to the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) WWW Resource page (http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/giswww.html) and check out some of the resources. Then come back to Access Excellence's Teacher Scientist Network, and join in the discussion!
Pam Peters
BioEditAE
Geographic Information Systems
A Novel Approach to Data Visualization
Background Paper
by
Randall E. Raymond
What is Geographic Information Systems (GIS)?
Presenting data in a computer map-based reference system provides a powerful way to present and identify many types of spatial/data/variable relationships. This type of data presentation and visualization, called Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, is one of the most important developments in computer technologies since the advent of the computer spreadsheet. Although GIS software has existed for 15 years, the development of desktop PC systems in 1992 provided individuals with the tools that they needed to begin to explore the powers of GIS for the first time. It was also this development that first brought GIS into the classroom and allowed students to manipulate large quantities of data with relative ease. Thanks, in part, to the ability of personal computers able to support GIS, it has become one of the fastest growing computer based applications available today.
Life Before GIS
My career as a research scientist began in Pine River, Michigan with an extensive watershed project. This project was designed to learn more about this valuable water resource and explore the causes, effects, and possible remedies of its serious pollution problems. The project involved mapping all of the dominant vegetation within 5 kilometers of the river bank. The Pine River has its origin in a dense, swampy, lowland area of northeastern Mecosta County, Michigan. The river meanders through woods, agricultural fields and dairy farms, penetrating the Gratiot and Midland Counties, and ending in the Saginaw County where it merges into the Chippewa River. Along its path, the river passes through three cities - Edmore, Alma, and St. Louis. It took a great team effort to complete this detailed project. As a team of researchers, we thoroughly analyzed the existing vegetation patterns, type mapped the vegetation changes, and coordinated the field studies needed to verify sample collection. We made use of aerial photographs, tracing paper, pan-o-graphic drawing tools and a variety of colored pencils. Many hours of time went into the construction of the maps using this then state-of-the-art system. Because of the great amount of time and effort required, one version of the map was all we had time to complete!
I was also involved in the investigation of the forest fire history of Isle Royale National Park and the Lake Superior region for the Department of the Interior National Park Service. The goal of this project was to identify historic fires which had taken place around the areas of inland lakes. Working on this project, my team and I examined sediment cores from the lakes to look for regions of charcoal. These charcoal layers were then used to trace back through the sediment cores. This led to an understanding of the natural role of forest fires in the pre-settlement forests. Again, countless hours were spent reviewing hand-written notes from original land surveyors. The job of these surveyors was to plot the land and record information about the vegetation. Again, maps and data became the central theme of this project. Tracing, drawing, lettering and color coding of the final data presentation maps were all done by hand. These slow and intensive methods left little room to explore the complex relationships that might exist between more than one set of data points. The transparent overlays that we used on the maps could only depict a limited amount of information, and they could not be easily modified. Yet, we used these maps because without them it would not have been possible to even begin to describe the data. Despite these limitations the project was very successful in meeting its overall objectives. It's interesting to note that a full report of the project and the original hand-drawn maps are presently stored in the archives of the Smithsonian Institution. Yet, I imagine that no one has looked at this project since it was put away - the difficulty in manipulating the static mapped data would probably make re-analysis useless.
The Power of GIS
Once data is collected, GIS visually displays the patterns and relationships that exist among the data points, and allows you to add and subtract any data sets in which you have an interest. For example, GIS allows you to plot cases of flu in your community. It also allows you to ask about the relationship of day care centers to flu cases by plotting the locations of these centers on top of the flu cases. No relationship? Let's try again by plotting the age distribution across the community. No relationship? Let's try...you get the picture! The true power and value of GIS lies in its ability to present and re-present data in a great variety of ways with relative ease and a rapid turn-around time. This ease of data presentation and manipulation allows examination of as many relationships between data sets as you (and your students) can identify.
Agencies across the US and around the world are developing GIS driven data management systems. These agencies have a tremendous need to collect, input and analyze large amounts of data in a fast and efficient manner. GIS is already used to aid in data analysis in many agencies. These agencies include the US Geological Survey, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Energy, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and National Ocean and Atmosphere Administration. Corporations and start-up businesses are also using GIS to help develop appropriate market strategies. School systems, both students and administration, are using GIS to plan such things as transportation systems and to analyze microenvironments around the school. Doctors are using GIS to help monitor disease and to develop effective treatment and control measures.
GIS in the Classroom
This powerful tool can have multiple roles in the classroom. By integrating GIS into classroom activities, the student begins to understand that GIS is not simply the making of maps - instead it is a tool which facilitates the spatial analysis of data. GIS helps students learn to think critically and to recognize patterns. Moreover, because there are few "textbook" examples of GIS, students become involved in "real science" as the use of real world problems becomes the emphasis. Teachers and students can play a vital and important role in this process. Classrooms all over the country can collaborate and cooperate on data collection and analysis activities which look at a variety of data systems. For example, studies on watershed problems, disease problems, climatic or hemispheric variation all provide excellent opportunities for data analysis. It is clear that large amounts of data can be collected through telecommunication networks such as the Internet. Using GIS this data can be linked to locations on a map and visual analysis can begin, providing students with a glimpse of future career opportunities.
GIS in the Past and the Future
GIS can also be used to analyze information that has been collected in the past. Such data can be linked to map points and compared to more recently collected test results from the same location. This type of comparative analysis is called META-analysis. GIS will play an increasing role in future research with its rapid rate of improvements and new developments. For example, the latest desktop version of the GIS software permits "attaching" various types of files to a geographic feature. In other words, you can click on a location on the map and access either a short video, an image or a sound. These dynamic capabilities make GIS a truly versatile tool to all areas of investigation.
Finally, as the powers and capabilities of a well designed GIS are explored, the dynamic inter-relationships that exist between all living things and their environments are recognized. Through the tools provided by gains in technology better understanding of scientific problems becomes a reality. GIS is one of the newest of those technological tools. GIS for data analysis will become the way to manage information in the future. Some estimates say that as much as 95% of all data collected can best be analyzed using a GIS. It is our students who will see even greater opportunities involving this powerful system.
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