2.1 Overview

In this lesson, we are going to discuss definitions of geospatial intelligence, the scope of the subject, and examine why geography as a subject and a discipline is fundamental to the idea of geospatial intelligence. For those of you out there who are geospatial intelligence practitioners and professionals, the definition of geospatial intelligence may seem obvious, i.e., "geospatial intelligence is what my agency says it is, and the scope encompasses what we do..." However, as you will find out, different people and different agencies have different understandings of the definition and scope of the field.

It also may seem apparent to some that geography and geographical understanding and knowledge obviously underlay any field called "geospatial intelligence." However, it is quite possible that geospatial analysts have very little if any geographic knowledge and understanding. At Penn State, we think that is a real problem and one of the main reasons that a course entitled "Geographic Foundations of Geospatial Intelligence" is the foundation course of the Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence. So here is a fundamental concept of this course:

A reasonable knowledge of geography and associated geographical viewpoints is essential for all practitioners of geospatial intelligence no matter their agency, mission, focus, or specialization.

Lesson Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• define Kant's three ways of ordering knowledge;
• define "Geography" and discuss the taxonomy of the word;
• define the terms Human Geography, Physical Geography, and Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIS&T); provide examples of each (sub-disciplines); discuss the relationship between the three;
• affirm or criticize, based on your own opinion and experience, the relevance of Human Geography to the field of Geospatial Intelligence;
• argue or defend how the definition of Geospatial Intelligence is socially contested and constructed; provide at least one organizational definition (e.g., NGAs) and argue or defend your own definition;