| Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are traditionally defined by the types of functions performed: input, storage, analysis, and output of geographically referenced data. Although analysis has been identified as a key component of GIS, numerous scholars within and outside the specialty area of GIS are concerned that the analytical capabilities of GIS have not been utilized to a significant level. Development and improvement of analytical capabilities in GIS has been correspondingly slow. My research examines the problem of integrating more analytical capabilities into GIS at both a technical and a theoretical level. At a technical level, the outcome of my research is a shape measure tool that represents all improvement over any other developed previously for use in GIS applications. In a broader context, my research has produced a new approach to analysis, which I refer to as GISynthesis. This approach develops a broader view for analysis and suggests that GISynthesis could serve as a framework for improving analysis in GIS by taking advantage of the unique capabilities offered in a computing context.;The concept of GISynthesis developed following an in-depth study involving shape analysis. The evaluation of the shape study suggests that my shape measure has combined advantages over previous approaches. The outcome, however, did not suggest that an overall significant improvement to GIS analysis has been reached. This lead me to investigate, on a theoretical level, what approach could be taken to make a more significant impact on analysis in GIS. The new approach developed is to reconfigure the terms in the GIS acronym to be Geographic Information Synthesis (GISynthesis). This concept, when implemented, extends the bounds of the traditional quantitative methods and the bounds of GIS to also incorporate cognitive and qualitative forms of investigation. This approach removes the modularity of current GIS structure, as the traditional definition of GIS implies, with separate and distinct modules that perform each of the basic GIS functions of input, storage, analysis, and output. |
