The theme of having specific applications of multidisciplinary tools and concepts has stayed with me so far in this course. (I refer to the debates of GIS as a tool or a science and later particularly to the debate of ontologies being designed in a subject specific manner.) I was pleased again to find mention of the need to identify various domains using a tool and how a tool can and should be adapted for use in that domain. The article by Hunter and Goodchild articulated this quite well when stating “One parameter in managing uncertainty is the variation that occurs in the use and application of spatial databases, as a result of different types of data, procedures and models requiring different approaches to visualizing error.” and through their Table 1. With respect to visualization, every domain would see something different when looking at an image or a map and be able to draw many different conclusions about what is presented or what the displayed data could mean. When dealing with error this is no different and it is necessary to visualize error in a way most relevant to those collecting, analyzing, presenting and making decisions based on a dataset. As such, the right tool must be selected for the job although participation from both the program designer and those working in the domain in question that must contribute to creating such a tool to be able to fully understand the tool created its uses and limitations.
-Outdoor Addict