Is GIS a Science?

Sep-14 : In this lesson, we will debate whether GIS is a science and contest how GIS is represented.

Reading

Enrolled students, please find course literature here, organized by article title, book chapter title, or book title.

• NASEM (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine). 2019. Reproducibility and Replicability in Science. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. DOI:10.17226/25303
  • Chapter 2: Scientific methods and knowledge (pages 21-30 )
• Wright, D. J., M. F. Goodchild, and J. D. Proctor. 1997. GIS: Tool or science? Demystifying the persistent ambiguity of GIS as “tool” versus “science.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers 87 (2):346–362. DOI:10.1111/0004-5608.872057
  • Focus on Table 1 and pages 353-359 to understand the three positions on GIS as Science (see below)
• St. Martin, K., and J. Wing. 2007. The discourse and discipline of GIS. Cartographica 42 (3):235–248. DOI:10.3138/carto.42.3.235-248
  • Focus on pages 239-245 to understand the four themes of GIS Discourse (see below) and their implications for geography and for and teaching GIS

Fun Viewing

• Scientific Studies: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rnq1NpHdmw&ab_channel=LastWeekTonight

Discussion and Blog

In preparation for class discussion, please prepare a blog-style reflection/position statement, which you will post on a GitHub site in the afternoon lab. Specifically, you might reflect on:

• What is science and how does a lack of reproducibility impact scientific knowledge production? Do you have any prior experience or knowledge of irreproducibility or questionable research practices in science?
• Which category of “GIS as Science” most applies to your personal experience thus far using and studying GIS? Do those forms of GIS count as “science”?
• Which themes of GIS Discourse have attracted you to the technology or made you feel uneasy about it? Have your instructors or mentors made any arguments similar to the four themes, or have you made them yourself in conversations with friends and family?

Three Positions on GIS as Science (Wright et al 1997)

1. GIS is a Scientific Tool
2. GIS is Toolmaking for Science
3. GIS is a Science

Four themes of GIS Discourse (St. Martin and Wing 2007)

1. Singular technology
2. Progressing along a linear path
3. Inherently expansive and growing
4. Universally applicable

2023 is the Year of Open Science

The White House announces new actions to advance open and equitable research

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