The panacea is not GIS by itself. To my knowledge, panacea's do not exist. An
effective solution, however, would be to let GIS as an analytical tool supported
by graphics be complemented by Electronic Atlases with high quality cartogra
phies that allow visual correlation and discovery of patterns (qualitative analysis).
It is immaterial if these capabilities will be resident in one system. The
significance is that we must keep both qualitative and quantitative components
in mind when the optimal exploitation of the technology and of geographic
information is being discussed.
Clearly much research needs to be done to understand better the cognitive
processes involved in qualitative map reading. Also the terminology of data,
information, and knowledge at various levels of abstraction needs to be more
carefully applied if a more subtle understanding of the use of maps in an
electronic environment is to be achieved in the interest of designing better
systems. This research seems less attractive than the quantitative (GIS) area
because that has an aura of mathematical precision while the former is much
fuzzier and tactile even as systematic research from which the results are difficult
to quantify.
Geodesists in Geomatics
So where does this leave us with the idea that dutch educated geodesists are so
well placed to fulfil leadership positions in designing and implementing a
Geomatics Infrastructure. It should be remembered that most Geodesists work
in functions where they contribute to the establishment of infrastructure. So in
that respect, it would be in the nature of their business to say that they should
be able to contribute to the Geomatics Infrastructure of the country, a province,
a city or an organization where geographic information management is a
significant activity. There are, however, also other reasons. First, they have a very
mathematical methodological education with a strong sense for the stochastic
nature of observed material. As all geographic information is "surveyed" and
therefore affected by stochastic behaviour, that aspect of a geodetic education is
very useful.
Second, they are well educated in aspects of civil and land development law.
Access to and use of geographic information is full of legal problems from
copyright to licensing to privacy to liability considerations. I don't expect that
geodesists would be the legal specialists who solve these problems but they can
bridge the gap between the lawyers and systems developers and users of infor
mation. That is an important function in infrastructure development, not unlike
the role fulfilled by the geodetic engineer in land reallotment projects in the
Netherlands.
Thirdly, almost all aspects of access to and use of geographic information have
381
