Topic summary

In this topic, you have been introduced to the basics of GIS and mapping, with their applications in social impact work. Specifically, the following things have been introduced to you:

• GIS Technology Overview: GIS is a technology that integrates hardware and software to collect, manage, analyze, and visualize geographical data. It combines elements of cartography, statistical analysis, and database technology to process spatial data and solve complex problems. GIS is not just about computer software; it's fundamentally a tool that integrates various types of data with location as the key index variable
• Applications in Various Fields: GIS technology finds applications in a wide range of fields including scientific research, resource management, asset management, environmental impact assessments, urban planning, cartography, criminology, and social impact work. It enables users to create interactive queries, analyze spatial information, edit data and maps, and present results effectively
• Application in Social Impact Work: Disaster response management, Mapping disease outbreaks, modeling risk factors to target interventions
• Data Types in GIS Points: lines, and polygons for marking locations, connecting points, and defining areas
• Map Projections and Coordinate Systems: GIS uses map projections to translate the Earth's curved surface into a flat image, with coordinate systems like Geographical Coordinate Systems (GCS) and Projected Coordinate Systems (PCS) being crucial for locating places on the Earth's surface
• Our case study: In the course, we will be utilizing a case study where an organization is collecting data about water points such as boreholes and kiosks, to build a thematic map. To do this, we will build a form for data collection using KoboToolbox, collect data, and import it into QGIS for mapping.