Understanding the Changing Planet Strategic Directions for the Geographical Sciences (2010) / Chapter Skim
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Moving Forward
Moving Forward
Pages 115-124
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From page 115... ...
research iNFrasTrucTure In terms of infrastructure, much of today's sciTo date, most progress in the geographical sciences has ence focuses on complex issues such as global climate been made through small, independent research initia- change, species extinction, economic modeling, or tives that may be loosely coordinated, but often are not. urban crime -- problems that often involve the analysis Professional society meetings serve to bring researchers of massive amounts of data using tools that are capable and research ideas together, but they do not have the of exploring the behavior of complex systems through resources to promote large-scale collaborations, nor is rapid and increasingly realistic simulations.
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From page 116... ...
and locations to a central service where data can be One approach to resolving issues of access might integrated and disseminated to the scientific commu- be to create tightly controlled environments in which nity. Large projects to install networks of value to the scientists could work with sensitive data but leave only geographical sciences have been proposed by ecologists with results that protected the confidentiality of the (National Ecological Observatory Network)
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From page 117... ...
. As a result, many hundreds of geoing such a system could help researchers in the geo- graphical data formats now exist, creating headaches graphical sciences gain access to, and use, the social data for anyone wanting to share data or integrate data from they need to address key questions about the changing multiple sources (Goodchild et al., 1999)
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From page 118... ...
already been built, thanks primarily to the importance A suitable next step, then, would be to launch a of geographical information in many areas of human series of workshops focused on identifying the kinds of activity well outside the scientific realm. Other parts infrastructure investments needed to support research of the infrastructure, however, have not yet received in the geographical sciences, as well as research more the kinds of investments or attention that geographical broadly that makes use of a geographical perspective.
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From page 119... ...
is an NSF-funded of key geographical patterns and processes, enhancing program that "recognizes the growing significance of critical spatial thinking skills, and deepening student space, spatiality, location, and place in social science grasp of the structure and functions of geographical research [and] seeks to develop unrestricted access technologies, including their awareness of the appro- to tools and perspectives that will advance the spatial priate contexts in which those technologies should and analytic capabilities of researchers throughout the social sciences."3 By providing online tutorials, text and online should not be used.
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Ways ceptual and technical skills needed to address many of need to be found to expose more students to geographithe strategic questions raised in this report, and promote cal ideas and tools and to enhance the research skills an expanding community of researchers and scholars of those with particular aptitude and interest in the who can push the research frontiers highlighted in geographical sciences. Addressing this challenge will Part II.
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From page 121... ...
There are already rapidly growing efforts to standing of how they work and how the choices that develop online educational resources with a geographiare made about data, spatial range, and scale influence cal component, such as the AAG's Center for Global FIGURE 1 Maps showing the spatial and temporal characteristics of the massive fires that swept through Yellowstone National Forest in summer 1988. Geographical visualizations of this sort enhance public understanding of what happened and help policy makers plan for the future.
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From page 122... ...
. including ones targeted at the types of strategic ques- A strategy of coherent public outreach can build tions raised in this report, could help widen the reach on the success of existing models designed to improve of the geographical sciences.
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A well-developed and cal science graduate programs to make communication well-connected geographical science enterprise is in with the public and policy makers more central to a position to provide insights of scientific and policy graduate education rather than a skill acquired later in relevance on a range of demographic and consumpa research career, if at all. tion issues, the changing character of Earth's land The entire geographical sciences community -- surface and environmental systems, globalization, the federal program leaders, academic institutions, profes- nature and significance of shifting social and political sional societies, nonprofits -- has an important role to arrangements, and the potential and limitations of play in maximizing the community's reach and impact.
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