Abstract
The National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) was established by the National Science Foundation in late 1988 to conduct basic GIS research. Its Research Plan is based on the contention that numerous impediments to the use of GIS technology exist, which must be removed if the technology's potential is to be realized fully. The article reviews the current state of GIS, arguing that it is a loose consortium of interests held together by common hardware and software solutions. The NCGIA is particularly concerned with the role of GIS within the broad scientific community. Research is organized as a series of initiatives, of which six are currently under way, focused on specific sets of impediments. Issues facing the Center and affecting its future research directions include the balance between basic and applied research, education and training, social and physical sciences, and scientific and infrastructural applications of GIS. The future of GIS will depend on the extent to which it can develop an intellectual core.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 343-355 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Government Information Quarterly |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1990 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
- Library and Information Sciences
- Law