This "Handbook" is an essential reference and a guide to the rapidly expanding field of Geographic Information Science. Designed to suit those who want an in-depth treatment of the subject, it comprises over thirty substantial essays, each written by a recognized expert in a particular area. The "Handbook" covers the full spectrum of research in the field. Contributors explore the major trends influencing the collection, organization, and dissemination of geographically referenced data sets, and review the defining characteristics of the database solutions used in GIS products. They consider the opportunities for using GIS to conduct spatial analysis, and examine the ways in which it has been used to advance cartographic modeling and visualization. Finally, they portray GIS at work, surveying its increasing number of applications. The editors introduce the "Handbook" with an essential overview of the origins, history, and state of the art of Geographic Information Science, before providing brief summaries of the chapters that follow. They conclude the book with two final chapters setting out how Geographic Information Science is likely to evolve in the future.