GIS-CARTOGRAPHY - VISUAL DECISION-SUPPORT FOR SPATIOTEMPORAL DATA HANDLING

This paper describes a new joint Dutch research initiative 'GIS-cartog raphy', combining the research efforts of the cartographers of Utrecht University, Delft University of Technology and the International Inst itute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC) in Enschede. The r esearch initiative focuses on the quantification and visualization of data quality, which will be placed in the context of providing automat ed visual decision support in specific map use strategies. As these ma p use strategies can only be performed if the relevant cartographic im ages can be created, studies of both physical access to the data, user interfaces and the provision of sufficient support to allow the user to understand and to derive sensible conclusions from the data are inc luded in the project. Before modules automatically visualizing data qu ality can be implemented, data documentation, standardization and inte gration have to be effected, therefore these issues are also covered.