Summary and Final Tasks

As you learned in this lesson, errors can be injected at many points in a GIS analysis, and one of the largest sources for this error is in the data collected. Each time a new dataset is used in a GIS analysis, new error possibilities are introduced.

Sources of data come from numerous locations, and you learned that understanding where the data came from, how it was collected, and how it was validated is essential if the GIS analysis based on this data will be used to make decisions that impact public safety and welfare and the environment.

You learned that metadata is the critical information source for determining if the data is relevant for your project. You learned how to read metadata and extract important information from the metadata related to timeliness, relevance, scale, accuracy, and data source, and where to obtain this data.

As you implement GIS projects, you now have the basis to evaluate your data sources before you use them and to make use of the most appropriate data for your projects. This should be one of the first GIS tasks you employ when conducting a new analysis.

Reminder - Complete all of the lesson tasks!

You have finished Lesson 7. Double-check the list of requirements on the first page of this lesson to make sure you have completed all of the activities listed there before beginning the next lesson.