MULTIPLE NAMES FOR SURVEYING,A SIGN OF POSSIBLE PARADIGM SHIFT IN OUR NOBLE PROFESSION
In recent past ,specifically some 30 years ago,progress in electronics and computer science brought revolutionary changes in scientific and technical disciplines, as e.g. geodesy, cartography, photogrammetry, cadastral and topographic mapping. They influenced substantially the style of surveyor′s activities. In this case,traditional tools for his work – survey tape, stakes, theodolite and paper maps have been replaced by new and powerful tools – electronic tacheometry, Global Positioning System, LIDAR, digital photogrammetry, digital cartography and geographic information systems. Today′s primary products of surveying and mapping are digital databases of geospatial information which can be analyzed, modeled and integrated with other kind of information and presented to the user in digital or graphical form tailored to his specific demands.
Now the advent of Technology with wide application in many professional fields has affected their course composition ,forced various professional bodies to review their objectives and philosophies. In the field of Surveying, just like other affected professional fields, universities and professional bodies have adopted different names and also restructured their course content/curriculum to really accommodate this technology and the change it has brought to surveying. What used to be known as SURVEYING is now studied in different universities as : GEOMATICS ENGINEERING OR SURVEYING AND GEO-INFORMATICS.
Aside the introduction of new equipment of high technology used in the practice of surveying,this shift is further pointed out when the terms are compared based on different professional views.
According to ISO Standard 19122 ?geomatics is a discipline concerned with the collection, distribution, storage, analysis, processing, presentation of geographic data or geographic information“. Its range is perfectly described by activities of the Geomatics Canada: establishing and maintenance of national spatial reference system, preparing, publishing and distributing of state topographical maps, aeronautical charts, aerial photographs and gazetteers, surveys on state boundaries, property surveys on federal lands,maintenance of national bases of geographic data for the development of geographical information systems. In the same instance from their website,the university of Cape town,department of geomatics classified it as an applied science and a professional descipline. As an applied science it involves an integrated approach to the measurement, analysis, management , and display of geographic and other spatial data. Geomatics professionals may be involved in designing, conducting and managing activities relating to surveying, geography, information systems, land development and planning, law and commerce.
These definitions as given above agree with Wikipedia in totality : as a discipline whose professionals are inolved in collecting and collating geographic/spatial data(field survey),analyzing, processing, storing and presenting them in different forms(analogue and digital) to aid decision making or for further applications in other professional fields.
On the other hand, there is no definition for Geo-informatics in ISO standard,one of the best was published by Dietmar Grünreich, president of the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy in Frankfurt (Main). According to him, Geo-informatics is a discipline concerned with theory of geospatial data modeling, their storage, management and processing as well as with development of geographical information systems and necessary information and communication technology.
Similarly, geoinformatics as defined by Wikipedia states that it is the science and technology which develops and uses information science infrastructure to address the problem of geography, cartography, geo-sciences and related branches of science and engineering. In answering the question "what is the meaning of Surveying and Geo-informatics", Wikipedia states that Geomatics encompasses Geo-informatics, but focuses more on surveying. while Geo-informatics on its own has at its core the technologies supporting the processes of acquiring, analyzing and visualizing spatial data.
Furthermore, according to Encyclopedia of information science and technology, Geo-informatics is refered to the academic discipline or career of working with geo-data for better understanding and interpretation of human interaction with the earth's surface. Geo-informatics might be defined in a relatively broad term as a number of different technologies, approaches, processes, and methods to interpret issue and controversy relating the earth's surface for collaborative decision making.
In this definitions the connecting link is in the fact that geo-informatics as a discipline entails succinctly 'taking care of spatial data using modern information science infrastructure'. In order words it is irrespective of how the data was generated ,the process it undergoes or which use it will be put to. According to an online source, it can combine different types of data set, from GIS ,remote sensing and none-remote sensing, and socio-economic data sets to generate results in form of maps or other forms of reports which allow for better interpretation, management and decision making about human activities upon earth's surface.
For the purpose of this topic,haven reviewed different views about geomatics and geo-informatics, it is important to state now that the addition of geo-informatics to surveying(as surveying and geoinformatics as adopted by some countries) is mainly as a result of modern evolution in information science and technology. Although from research geomatics predates geo-informatics,it is important however to note that geomatics by its curriculum context encompasses geo-informatics. As a professional discipline, Geo-informatics is a very broad one and it is still evolving.
?Ugwu Sochukwuma Samuel