5.2 Analysis and Modeling
Understanding and applying the analytical functions (“exploratory” analyses as well as model-driven analyses) of geospatial software tools.
Critical Work Functions
- 5.2.1 Perform a buffer operation in GIS software.
- 5.2.2 Implement standard analytical procedures to perform common geospatial tasks, such as suitability overlay analysis.
- 5.2.3 Develop new analysis procedures to solve novel or unstructured geospatial tasks.
- 5.2.4 Use GIS software to identify an optimal route that accounts for visibility, slope, and specified land use or land cover.
- 5.2.5 Use location-allocation software functions to locate service facilities that satisfy given constraints.
- 5.2.6 Develop conceptual, logical, and physical models of a geospatial database designed in response to user requirements.
- 5.2.7 Recognize the impact of the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem on the apparent spatial and statistical patterns found in geospatial data.
- 5.2.8 Select, use, and interpret geospatial modeling techniques appropriately with respect to their characteristics.
- 5.2.9 Apply predictive models to study geographic patterns and processes.
- 5.2.10 Employ cartographic techniques to represent different kinds of uncertainty, including uncertain boundary locations, transitional boundaries, and ambiguity of attributes.
- 5.2.11 Understand how to represent boundaries in plats, records, and descriptions as stipulated in legal statute and precedent.
- 5.2.12 Determine the appropriate image data and image analysis techniques needed to fulfill project requirements.
- 5.2.13 Pre-process digital remotely sensed data using procedures such as geometric correction, radiometric correction, and mosaicking with an awareness of their impact on data quality.
- 5.2.14 Take potential pre-processing into account when using products characterized as Analysis Ready Data (ARD).
- 5.2.15 Quantify the thematic accuracy of a land cover map derived from remotely-sensed imagery.
- 5.2.16 Determine the thematic accuracy of a data product using ground verification methods.
- 5.2.17 Select and use pixel-based or object-based classification of imagery data appropriately based on data and project requirements.
Technical Content Areas
- 5.2.18 Analytical Methods
- Basic Analytical Operations, such as buffers, overlay, neighborhoods, and map algebra
- Basic Analytical Methods, such as point pattern analysis, spatial cluster analysis, multi-criteria evaluation, and spatial process models
- Analysis of Surfaces, including interpolation of surfaces, surface features, and viewshed analysis
- Geostatistics, including spatial sampling, semi-variogram modeling, and kriging
- Data Mining, including pattern recognition
- Network Analysis, including least-cost paths, flow modeling, and accessibility modeling
- 5.2.21 Geocomputation
- Neurocomputing
- Cellular Automata Models
- Heuristics
- Genetic algorithms
- Agent-based Models
- Simulation Models
- Uncertainty
- 5.2.22 Geospatial Data
- Land Surveying
- Field Data Collection
- Remote Sensing, including algorithms and processing
- 5.2.23 Cartography and Visualization
- Graphic Representation Techniques, including dynamic and interactive displays, Web mapping and visualizations, and visualization of uncertainty
- 5.2.24 GIS&T and Society
- Ethical Aspects, including obligations to individuals, to employers and clients, to colleagues and the profession, and to society
- Legal Aspects, including liability
- 5.2.25 Organizational and Institutional Aspects
- Allied industries in which professionals need to understand geographic principles:
- Emergency Management & E911;
- Environmental and Natural Resources;
- Coastal and Marine Resources Management;
- Real Estate and Land Management;
- Energy, Exploration and Mining;
- Utilities (Public and Private) and Power Generation;
- City, State, County, Provincial and other Local Government;
- Transportation and Logistics (Fleet Management, Mobile Resource Management, Road and Highway Planning and Maintenance);
- Urban and Regional Planning;
- Mobile Location-Based Services and Communication (Navigation, Location-based alerts, Location-based gaming, Location-based search); and
- Allied industries in which geographic information is a crucial part of many job functions:
- Advertising, Marketing and Market Research;
- Architecture, Engineering and Construction;
- Cultural Resource Management;
- Journalism and Publishing;
- Public Safety and Health;
- Restaurants and Food Service;