Progress in computational methods for representing geographical concepts

Over the past ten years, a subfield of GIScience has been recognized that a ddresses the linkage between human thought regarding geographical space, an d the mechanisms for implementing these concepts in computational models. T his research area has developed an identity through a series of successful international conferences and the establishment of a journal. It has also b een complemented through community activities such as international standar dization efforts and GIS interoperability. Historically, much of the advanc ement in computational methods has occurred at-or close to-the implementati on level, as exemplified by attention to the development of spatial access methods. :Significant progress has been made at the levels of spatial data models and spatial query languages, although we note the lack of a comprehe nsive theoretical framework comparable to the relational data model in data base management systems. The difficult problems that need future research e fforts are at the highly abstract level of capturing semantics of geographi cal information. A cognitive motivation is most promising as it shapes the focus on the users' needs and points of view, rather than on efficiency as in the case of a bottom-up system design. We also identify the need for new research in fields, models of qualitative spatial information, temporal as pects, knowledge discovery, and the integration of GIS with database manage ment systems.