Geographic Information Systems...

U.S. Geological Survey - a general discussion of GIS and how it works

A GIS is a computer system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced information; that is, data identified according to location. Practitioners also define a GIS as including the procedures, operating personnel, and spatial data that go into the system.

-USGS

What is GIS? - An introduction to GIS by ESRI, the company that produces the leading GIS software.

"GIS is a collection of computer hardware, software, and geographic data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information."

-ESRI

GIS Dictionary - Association of American Geographers and the University of Edinburgh

Dictionary of Abbreviations and Acronyms in GIS, Cartography & Remote Sensing - University of California, Berkeley

If you are interested in learning to use GIS software, there are self-paced tutorials available from ESRI's Virtual Campus.

The courses are free Vanderbilt faculty, staff, and students. Feel free to check out the ESRI training site for a course catalog and to look at different course options. We recommend starting with the "First Time Visitor" link near the bottom of the page to get acquainted. If you see a course you would like to enroll in, contact us for your free access code.

For those not associated with Vandebilt, a wide variety of free courses and modules are also available.

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