GS-17 - Common-sense geographies
- Identify common-sense views of geographic phenomena that sharply contrast with established theories and technologies of geographic information
- Differentiate applications that can make use of common-sense principles of geography from those that should not
- Collaborate with non-GIS experts who use GIS to design applications that match commonsense understanding to an appropriate degree
- Effectively communicate the design, procedures, and results of GIS projects to non-GIS audiences (clients, managers, general public)
- Evaluate the impact of geospatial technologies (e.g., Google Earth) that allow non-geospatial professionals to create, distribute, and map geographic information
GS-24 - Citizen Science with GIS&T
Figure 1. Participant in a BioBlitz records bird observation (Source: Jo Somerfield)
Citizen Science is defined as the participation of non-professional volunteers in scientific projects (Dickson et al, 2010) and has experienced rapid growth over the past decade. The projects that are emerging in this area range from contributory projects, co-created projects, collegiate projects, which are initiated and run by a group of people with shared interest, without any involvement of professional scientists.
In many citizen science projects, GIS&T is enabling the collection, analysis, and visualisation of spatial data to affect decision-making. Some examples may include:
Such projects have the opportunity to empower or disempower members of the public, depending upon access to and understanding of technology. Citizen Science projects using GIS&T may help communities influence decision makers and support the gathering of large-scale scientific evidence on a range of issues. This may also renew people’s interests in the sciences and foster continued and lifelong learning.