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For the last 25 yeas of my working life before I retired, I used Geographic Information Science (GIS) as a tool in invasive species research for the University of Idaho. In retirement there was a gap because I focused on perpetual Saturdays and enjoying life away from grant writing, big data sets and structured processing. Time has past and healed all wounds so time for a little reflection on how I processed super sized data sets on small desktop computers.
In a sentence, GIS data can be described as either vector or lines linked to information i.e. street name and raster or images representing a feature by the color. Traditionally there is software canyon is between vector and raster data where neither could be processed by one piece of software. Although there has been pressure to provide single source software for all data essentially only foot bridges have been constructed and in some respects they are botched jobs to keep federal agencies happy.
I approach using the software and hardware associated with GIS as if I were a computer gamer, where I need to figure out how use it to "score points" and generate the map I want. Like with gaming software expect a steep, but a rewarding learning curve. The tutorials with practice data sets and Youtube videos will help speed the learning process. The unfriendly nature of the software and "The I do not want to learn this attitude of humans" is why most companies outsource or have a separate GIS department to meet their GIS needs. A great job opportunity for those who take the time to learn how to use the associated software and hardware.
My predicted wind dispersal map for balsam woolly adelgid in August developed with Terrset software.
My site susceptibility map for Rush Skeletonweed developed with Terrset software.
Where to start
Where to start
Define the problem you want to answer. The where, what, why and accuracy questions.
Look for what others have done to tackle the problem or similar problems.
Determine sources of the data and what you need to collect. Is it compatible with the software you want to use?
Determine hardware needs i.e. computers/monitors/printers, hard drive and backup space, and data collecting devices.
Determine software needs and learning curves to come up to speed.
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