Demystifying the Persistent Ambiguity of GIS as ‘Tool’ versus ‘Science’

Abstract

Is GIS a tool or a science? The question is clearly important in the day-to-day operations of geography departments. Departments need to know if GIS is a tool that should be taught at the undergraduate level, or a science and thus a legitimate research specialty of faculty and graduate students. We summarize the debate on this question that was conducted on GIS-L electronic listserver in late 1993. In evaluating this discussion it became clear that GIS could be understood not by the two distinct positions taken by the GIS-L discussants but as three positions along a continuum ranging from tool to science. These positions attach several meanings to "doing GIS." These are (1) GIS as tool, i.e., the use of a particular class of software, associated hardware tools, and digital geographic data in order to advance some specific purpose; (2) GIS as toolmaking, i.e., the advancement of the tool's capabilities and facilities (ease of use); and (3) the science of GIS, i.e., the analysis of the fundamental issues raised by the use of GIS. Recognizing the importance of understanding what is meant by "doing science" as well as what is meant by "doing GIS," we conclude that only one of these positions-"the science of GIS"-is a sufficient condition for science. The "toolmaker" position is rarely able to meet the test of science; and the "GIS is a tool" position involves "doing science" only if it yields progress on some substantive problem. The debate is certainly problematic in light of the variety of perspectives on science and on GIS. The persistence of the issue suggests, however, that the GIS community should continue to work toward a resolution.

GIS-Supported Collaborative Decision Making: Results of an Experiment

“…This is an important part of geographic information science that concerns itself with the implications of geographic information (system) use within organizations, community, and society. The study reported in this article fuels the discourse about the role of GIS as "tool or science" (Pickles 1996;Wright, Goodchild, and Proctor 1996a), but along different emphases from those articulated in the discourse to date. Wright, Goodchild, and Proctor (1996a) provide a service to GIS researchers by writing about the multiple roles of GIS, which is sometimes viewed as a tool and sometimes viewed as a science.…”

“…The study reported in this article fuels the discourse about the role of GIS as "tool or science" (Pickles 1996;Wright, Goodchild, and Proctor 1996a), but along different emphases from those articulated in the discourse to date. Wright, Goodchild, and Proctor (1996a) provide a service to GIS researchers by writing about the multiple roles of GIS, which is sometimes viewed as a tool and sometimes viewed as a science. Like Pickles (1996), however, we doubt the usefulness of an analysis of e-mail dialogue about GIS as "tool or science," as reported by Wright, Goodchild, and Proctor (1996a) because of a lack of reflective thought on the topic in terms of theoretical and philosophical grounding.…”

“…Even a discourse about this concept is a misplaced pursuit for encouraging developments in science! Recognition of a balance between substance, theory, and methodology is what is needed to make the theoretical turn (Pickles 1996;Wright, Goodchild, and Proctor 1996b). Achieving such a balance involves implementing a research design that includes all three research domains, with one domain taking the lead to set the stage while the others follow but with all present as part of the overall contribution (Brinberg and McGrath 1985).…”

Exploratory Landscape Metrics for Agricultural Sustainability

“…The incorporation of socioeconomic, natural, and administrative data in such a system permits: different criteria, to be assessed using integrative multi-criteria evaluation techniques (Jankowski 1995); the handling and manipulation of results, in order to make better decisions about the best preventive measures in the short, medium, and long run; and the possibility to progress as a legitimate scientific field in its own right (Wright et al 2004). The functional and applied capabilities of a GIS can provide data handling solutions possible at desktop level, which also facilitate decision making at more precise spatial scales, leading to advances in other decision making tools, for example, concerning transportation systems (O'Sullivan et al 2000).…”

Validation and Automatic Repair of Planar Partitions Using a Constrained Triangulation

“…In this context, the development and analysis of such a tool in GIS research can be seen as toolmaking, where end users can only benefit from the engineering of better tools [Wright et al, 1997], especially when it concerns a representation as prevalent as planar partitions.…”