Geographical Information Systems

Software

Generic Mapping Tools an open source collection of ~60 tools for manipulating geographic and Cartesian data sets (including filtering, trend fitting, gridding, projecting, etc.) and producing Encapsulated PostScript File (EPS) illustrations ranging from simple x-y plots via contour maps to artificially illuminated surfaces and 3-D perspective views. GMT supports ~30 map projections and transformations and comes with support data such as GSHHS coastlines, rivers, and political boundaries. GMT is developed and maintained by Paul Wessel and Walter H. F. Smith with help from a global set of volunteers, and is supported by the National Science Foundation. It is released under the GNU General Public License.
- A giant DIY globe made using these tools
Google Earth is a quickway to view the information collected. The program and its map set can be downloaded for free from Google. Data from the GPS unit can be exported to a Google Earth readable format (.kml) and superimposed on the Google Earth satellite image. It is also possible to import other maps into Google Earth.
GRASS (http://grass.itc.it/index.php) - full GIS analysis and database package (open-source equivalent of ArcGIS)
GPS Babel - GPSBabel converts waypoints, tracks, and routes between popular GPS receivers and mapping programs. It also has powerful manipulation tools for such data.
Linking photographs with the GPS track record.

Markus Neteler and Helena Mitasova, Open source GIS (Springer, 2004).
Mitchell, Andy (1999) ESRI guide to GIS analysis (2 volumes)
1. Volume 1: Geographic Patterns & Relationships
2. Volume 2: Spatial Measurements & Statistics
Pamuk, Ayse (2006) Mapping Global Cities: GIS methods in Urabn Analysis
Getting to know ArcGIS desktop
Maantay, Juliana & Ziegler, John (2006) GIS for the urban environment.