- click image above to open "What is GIS" presentation file (MS PowerPoint PPT, 8.5MB) -

What is GIS
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is commonly known as "computerized mapping software", or more precisely as "a computerized database management system for capture, storage, retrieval, manipulation, analysis and display of spatial, or locationally defined, data."

The definition of GIS has been changing and expanding as related technologies evolve - check Wikipedia, for example, to learn about GIS and its related technologies. Also, try this USGS's GIS education page - very informative.

GIS Resources - to learn more about GIS software, analysis methods, and techniques:

Magaines & Newsletters (online)

• Directions magazine
  http://www.directionsmag.com/
• GISUser
  http://www.gisuser.com/
• GIS Cafe
  http://www.giscafe.com/
• GIS Monitor
  http://www.gismonitor.com/
• Spatialnews - Geocommunity
  http://spatialnews.geocomm.com/

Magaines & Newsletters (paper)

• Geospatial Solutions
  http://www.geospatial-solutions.com/
• Arc News
  http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/
• ArcUser Online
  http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser
• URISA Journal
  http://www.urisa.org/urisajournal
• Earth Observation Magazine
  http://www.eomonline.com/

GIS Industry & User Organizations

• URISA: Urban and Regional Information Systems Association - U.S
  http://www.urisa.org/
• AAG: Association of American Geographers - U.S.
  http://www.aag.org/
• GITA: Geospatial Information & Technology Association - U.S.
  http://www.gita.org/
• NSGIC: National State Geographic Information Council - U.S.
  http://www.nsgic.org/ --- see also IL Ramona GIS inventory
• ILGISA: Illinois Geographic Information Systems Association - Illinois
  http://www.ilgisa.org/
• GSDI: Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association - International
  http://www.gsdi.org/
• OGC: Open Geospatial Consortium- International
  http://www.opengeospatial.org/

Selected GIS and Related Applications

Mjor Commercial Products

• ESRI - Arc products
  http://www.esri.com/
• Autodesk products (AutoCAD)
  http://usa.autodesk.com/
• MapInfo
  http://www.mapinfo.com/
• Intergraph GeoMedia
  http://www.intergraph.com/
• ERDAS
  http://www.erdas.com/
• IDRISI
  http://www.clarklabs.org/
• FME (Geospatial Data Translator)
  http://www.safe.com/

Free Products

• GRASS GIS
  http://grass.itc.it/
• DLGV32 (USGS)
  http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/drc/dlgv32pro/
• Google Earth
  http://earth.google.com/
• World Wind (NASA version of Google Earth - see this comparison)
  http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/
• ArcGIS Explorer (ESRI version of Google Earth - coming soon)
  http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/explorer/
• ArcExplorer (ESRI)
  http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/
• AccuGlobe
  http://www.ddti.net/
• QGIS: Quantum GIS
  http://qgis.org/
• uDig: User-friendly Desktop Internet GIS
  http://udig.refractions.net/confluence/display/UDIG/