Geographic information science and systems is a key tool in geographic study. It is a subject of choice among students since more and more jobs are now requiring people who can conduct GIS analysis. This work charts the value - both intellectual and technical - of GIS to human geography. From epistemology to ethics, the book outlines the distinct approaches to inquiry employed in GIS as well as illustrates their applicability and limitations for human geographers. To this end, it develops two working examples of GIS problem analysis as a means of illustrating analytical, interpretative and methodological issues associated with GIS. Finally the book includes a close reading of a GIS analysis to illuminate the conceptual and operational bases of GIS. Unlike the myriad of "how-to" texts available this book takes a step back to look critically at the methodological, theoretical and practical considerations students of human geography need to be aware of before using GIS.