A Place in History - Section 4.1

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	A place in history: a guide to using GIS in historical research CHAPTER 4: BASIC GIS FUNCTIONALITY: QUERYING, INTEGRATING AND MANIPULATING SPATIAL DATA
	4.1 Introduction This chapter introduces the core functionality of GIS. It describes the first steps that a user can undertake once they have their data in a GIS software package. This is the last chapter that approaches GIS in this way, the remainder of the book focuses on issues rather than functionality. As described in Chapter 1, GIS software combines computer mapping functionality that handles and displays spatial data, with database management system functionality to handle attribute data. This chapter describes the basic tools that this provides to the user that are not available in other types of software packages. The basic functionality is as follows: Querying both spatially and through attribute Manipulating the spatial component of the data: for example, through changing projections, rubber sheeting to join adjacent layers of data together, and calculating basic statistics such as areas and perimeters of polygons Buffering where all locations lying within a set distance of a feature or set of features are identified Data integration, either informally by simply laying one layer over another, or formally through a mathematical overlay operation Areal interpolation


	© Ian Gregory 2002 The right of Ian Gregory to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All material supplied via the Arts and Humanities Data Service is protected by copyright, and duplication or sale of all or any part of it is not permitted, except that material may be duplicated by you for your personal research use or educational purposes in electronic or print form. Permission for any other use must be obtained from the Arts and Humanities Data Service. Electronic or print copies may not be offered, whether for sale or otherwise, to any third party.