UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS 2017/2018
EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
BIT2307 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
FULL TIME/PART TIME/DISTANCE LEARNING
DATE: DECEMBER, 2017 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer Question One & ANY OTHER TWO questions.
QUESTION ONE: 30 MARKS (COMPULSORY)
a) Using examples describe the two types of data used in GIS (3Marks)
b) Explain the following terms with reference to geographic information systems;
i. Layers (2Marks)
ii. OTF (2Marks)
iii. Reference system (2Marks)
iv. Internet GIS (2Marks)
c) Beside the production of maps, the GIS also perform geospatial analysis. Give
Examples of these analyses. (5Marks)
d) Attribute data stored in the GIS consists of three basic types. Name any two of these
(2Marks)
e) Explain how each of the following is performed in Qgis:
i) Setting the symbology of a layer (3Marks)
ii) Measuring the length of a given distance (3Marks)
iii) Georeferncing a raster image (3Marks)
iv) Digitizing (3Marks)
QUESTION TWO: 20 MARKS
a) Discuss the problems that can be experienced when handling spatial data manually as
opposed to using geographic information systems (6Marks)
b) Many GIS applications are in existence today, both commercially and in open source.
List the various types of these applications (4Marks)
c) Give the meaning of the following terms
i) Datum (2Marks)
ii) Satellite (2Marks)
iii) Universe of discourse (2Marks)
iv) GPS (2Marks)
v) CAD (2Marks)
QUESTION THREE: 20 MARKS
a) Describe five uses of GIS technology in society today (10Marks)
b) i) List the main types of DBMS available to the GIS users today (2Marks)
ii) Describe the steps involved in the creation of a GIS database (8Marks)
QUESTION FOUR: 20 MARKS
a) Differentiate between the functional and component view of GIS (5Marks)
b) Explain the three major elements that characterize topology (6Marks)
c) Explain the GIS workflow (5Marks)
d) Define OTF and explain its importance in any GIS project (4Marks)
QUESTION FIVE: 20 MARKS
a) Explain the major sources of spatial data (8Marks)
b) Name any four types of spatial entities used to represent geographic features (4Marks)
c) Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using raster data for spatial representation
(8Marks)
