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 - ArcGIS Resource Center

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.

Feel free to check out the ESRI training site for a course catalog and to look at all of the different course options, or go straight to the list of courses that are Free for Vanderbilt faculty, students, and staff. 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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