We’ve all heard the decades-old phrase surveyors have used to describe GIS: “Get It Surveyed.” But the saying, which emerged based on deep-rooted perceptions, overlooks the overlap and similar functions of the surveying and GIS fields. In fact, the disciplines are closely related. The crossover between the two offers significant opportunities for cooperation and information exchange as well as professional growth.
Surveying and GIS both provide answers to the same basic questions: “Where is it?” “What is it?” “How does it relate to things around it?” “What about it is interesting or important?” And they both seek to address the most important question: “How can I get the information to people who need it?” So, given the similarities, why the gap, be it real or perceived?
