9 ESSENTIAL GIS SKILLS

BY

WANJOHI KIBUI

OMONDI STEVE

A GIS automates creating, analyzing, manipulating, storing , querying and retrieval of spatial data for users.

However, there are various essential skills that a user should have to utilize the capabilities of a GIS with ease and produce quality products within the stipulated period of time and cost.

GIS DATA MANAGEMENT

• Data management is important to ensure that all data being

used is put in an easily accessible location within the

application to save time of retrieval.

• A GIS offers various data management tools to work with

during analysis based on the data loaded in the application.

• The kind of projection used for data in a GIS is vital in

determining the actual location of features on the earth’s

surface.

• There are many projections available in GIS that can be used

depending on the analysis being carried out.

CLASSIFYING GIS DATA

• The appearance of layers in a GIS should ensure visual balance and

contrast to convey information to the map users effectively.

• GIS offer a wide variety of Symbology techniques to use for features

in a map such as Single , Categorized, Graduated depending on the

data being used.

• Labels are used to identify show the identity of features on a map.

Labelling is a key skill for every GIS user/professionals as the

labelling method depends on user specifications.

HANDLING GEOPROCESSING TASKS

• In the analysis stage in a GIS, there are basic tools for which are

very useful in carrying out processes based on user’s

specifications.

• There are basic tools that are located in an easily-accessible

place in a GIS. This helps in faster and easier access of the

tools.

WORKING WITH ATTRIBUTE TABLES

• Attributes in spatial analysis aids in better understanding of the

data that is being used in a GIS.

• The user ought to check on the attribute table to identify the

fields to be used in various analysis.

• The table gives a capability for a user to add or delete the

attributes as per the user needs.

GIS DATA QUERYING

• Data retrieval in any GIS analysis is vital as data must be filtered

amongst huge amounts of data.

• GIS offers a better and efficient way of data query and retrieval

from huge amounts of data using user defined queries and

expressions.

• Writing of these expressions is quite easy to ensure faster and

effective way of data retrieval.

• These queries can be done using Python scripts or inbuilt

querying functionalities.

WORKING WITH GIS DATABASES

• With the increase in chunks of gis data around us, we need us

skills to store these data in a more sorted and standardized

manner-this led to advent of geo-databases.

• A GIS guys has to be capable of developing, administering and

managing these data in geodatabases.

GIS PROGRAMMING SKILLS

• The recent proliferation of the utilization of gis in organizations

call for more gis applications to be made available for users

who have advanced skill in gis and for those with little or no

skills.

• The GIS guy has the divine task to develop simple gis

applications for various platforms to increase access and

utilization of gis technology.

GIS DATA PRESENTATION

• The aim of every GIS user is to produce great map outputs

signifying their work and meeting their goals of analysis.

• This is done by well presenting the data in the required formats

for the targeted group to view or use the maps.

• GIS offers better and efficient ways of presenting the outputs of

user’s analysis.

DATA PUBLISHING

• Modern technology has helped GIS professionals share their

work over the internet to a large number of users across the

globe. The internet provides a fast and effective platforms for

sharing data with users located at different places on the globe

thus saving cost of operation and also saving time for data

dissemination.

• Modern GIS provides the capabilities to publish user’s work

from their computers to the internet using various ways. One of

the ways of publishing data include the use of plugins.

• Example : QGIS Cloud plugin and Qgis2Leaf plugin