DN2-1 - Scale and generalization

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Author and Citation Info: 

DiBiase, D., DeMers, M., Johnson, A., Kemp, K., Luck, A. T., Plewe, B., and Wentz, E. (2006). Scale and generalization. The Geographic Information Science & Technology Body of Knowledge. Washington, DC: Association of American Geographers. (2nd Quarter 2016, first digital).

Learning Objectives: 
  • Differentiate among the concepts of scale (as in map scale), support, scope, and resolution
  • Discuss the implications of tradeoff between data detail and data volume
  • Select a level of data detail and accuracy appropriate for a particular application (e.g., viewshed analysis, continental land cover change)
  • Defend or refute the statement “GIS data are scaleless”
  • Determine the mathematical relationships among scale, scope, and resolution, including Töpfer’s radical law