Geographic Information Science. Integrating interdisciplinary concepts and methods

Geographic Information Science (GIScience) is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to understand the nature of geographic phenomena and of geographic information. It provides theoretical foundations for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the orchestration of research and development of GIS in mainstream ICT. Virtual Globes such as Google Earth along with Web 2.0 have opened the "virtual world" to millions of day-to-day users, but they are mainly a `window of perception` to the spatial data infrastructures operating in the background. Communicating geographic information via the Internet and enabling users to work inter-actively with geographic information requires a profound understanding of mapping principles -- ignorance of which opens the way for misuse and misinterpretation. This DK establishes formalized doctoral education and research training programmes in GIScience at the University at Salzburg by integrating PhD students in focused research clusters. The DK seeks to acknowledge spatial principles, to explore scientific, educational, and policy-related uses of geographic information in order to elucidate the complex relationships that individuals and society have with GIS. It provides a framework for scientific studies of physical and social phenomena. Three interconnected, interdisciplinary research clusters are established. Representations and Data Models is focused on research about the conceptual modelling of space, spatial features and phenomena, and provides a spatial view of various kinds of physical and abstract information objects in order to reveal the potential power of the `spatial perspective`. Time and Process research will leverage the increasing availability of real-time sensor data, the importance of process-oriented modelling, and address the need for temporal modelling beyond simple discrete time slices. Spatialization, Media and Society considers user perspectives and utilizes Geographic Information communication as a hypotheses generator for geospatial research: cognitive processes lead to mental mappings which are highly relevant for action, which in turn modify physical and societal spaces. Concepts of spatial thinking and spatial theory are the linchpins of this innovative cross-cutting field of research. The research clusters are logically linked, provide structure and direction for the research topics addressed, and define operational working groups for collaboration across PhD topics. Research clusters are critically important building blocks for workflows and information processing chains based on geospatially referenced information. Salzburg is an acknowledged `hotspot` for GIScience research and a well-known trademark combining university and non-university education and research. A flagship institution is the Centre for Geoinformatics Salzburg (Z_GIS) which is dedicated to research and postgraduate GIScience education. A successful DK is guaranteed by: 1) participating groups provide a scientific critical mass and an existing infrastructure for stimulating excellent research 2) a successful MSc Program with 750+ graduates and the basis of a strong alumni culture 3) experience in the initiation and successful management of research networks.