University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Ethical Implications of Technical Limitations in Geographic Information Systems

Graeff, Christine; Loui, Michael C.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/12251

Description

Title
Ethical Implications of Technical Limitations in Geographic Information Systems
Author(s)
  • Graeff, Christine
  • Loui, Michael C.
Issue Date
2008
Keyword(s)
  • cartography
  • ethics
  • geographic information systems
Abstract
A geographic information system (GIS) allows a user to combine digitized data sets from multiple sources to produce a customized map. Like traditional paper maps, GIS maps should be accurate. Unlike traditional maps, however, technical limitations raise new ethical issues for geographic information systems. These technical limitations include unavoidable inaccuracies introduced by the digitization of continuous data, the projection of three-dimensional data onto a two-dimensional plane, and incompatibilities of data sets stored in different formats. Consistency checks and technical standards may mitigate the harmful consequences of these technical limitations.
Publisher
IEEE
Type of Resource
  • text
  • image
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/12251
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1109/MTS.2008.930566
Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)
National Science Foundation Grant IIS-0832843
Copyright and License Information
(c) 2008 IEEE

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