THE RESEARCH AGENDA OF THE EUROPEAN SCIENCE FOUNDATIONS GISDATA SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

In January 1993 the European Science Foundation launched a four-year s cientific programme on geographical information systems. The programme aims at overcoming the existing fragmentation of GIS research in Euro pe and addresses three key areas: European-wide data base design, data integration, and social and environmental applications. In each of th ese areas a number of priorities have been identified which provide th e focus of the initiatives and collaborative ventures envisaged by the programme. This article describes the programme's research agenda and sets it in the context of the activities of the European Science Foun dation.