Introduction to Geo-Information Science

Geodata have become essential in many PhD research projects. We offer PhD students the opportunity to join this course to understand and practice basic geo-information concepts. The course is a 6 ECT course for MSc students, consisting of 4 clusters. PhD candidates may select which clusters to follow. Each cluster is 1.5 ECT, 40 hours in 2 weeks. PhD candidates can work on their own geodata related questions during the course.

The course introduces geo-information science. The starting point of the introduction is the geo-information cycle, that frames actions like acquisition, storage, processing and visualization of geodata. The cycle can be used to describe, to analyse, to design and to realize real world phenomena you address in your PhD research. The course introduces conceptual, formal and technical modelling steps, emphasizing the roles of geographical data attributes (thematic, geometric, temporal). Metadata like (geo)reference, map projection and attribute domains play an important role in finding geodata and determining processing steps. It is also important to evaluate the (re)usability of geodata and geodata-processing steps. Geo-visualization is introduced as a way to communicate geodata.

After the first conceptual cluster, the course introduces geodata-processing, three data-handling classes (query, transform and alter) and the data-action model. Terrain height and processing of elevation data is given specific attention. Furthermore, the basic concepts of remote sensing (spectral signature, sensor types, visual and quantitative processing) are introduced.

During practical exercises, the concepts are applied and may be used for your own research data. Professional software, ArcGISPro, and PDOK-based data will be used.