Research

The Art of Information Intelligence: Balancing Emotion, Intuition, and Curiosity in Geospatial Information Sciences

In an age where data flows like an inexhaustible river, the role of an information scientist has evolved into a complex tapestry woven with threads of emotional intelligence, spatial awareness, and intellectual curiosity. As the realm of Geospatial Information Sciences continues to expand, the need for practitioners who can blend these elements becomes ever more critical. But what does it truly mean to possess the emotional and spatial intelligence required to thrive in this field?

At first glance, the concept of emotional intelligence in information science may appear abstract, even esoteric. Yet, it is this very quality that empowers scientists to discern not just the utility of data, but its intrinsic beauty. An effective information scientist must navigate through mountains of information, finding clarity in chaos and identifying ideas that resonate on both a rational and emotional level. The challenge lies in distinguishing between ideas that are merely good and those that are genuinely beautiful—ideas that inspire not just understanding, but a profound sense of connection to the world.

Spatial intelligence adds another dimension to this inquiry. It is the ability to visualize relationships in a three-dimensional context, to understand the significance of location, and to appreciate how different data points interact within a geographic framework. In a field driven by maps, models, and visual representations, the spatially intelligent scientist perceives patterns that others may overlook. This capacity to think geographically enhances the ability to recognize problems that are not only complex but also timely—challenges ripe for exploration and resolution.

The crux of an information scientist's role lies in their intellectual curiosity, the driving force that propels them toward the uncharted territories of knowledge. It is this curiosity that fosters the ability to ask the right questions: What is worth spending time on? What problems remain unsolved yet demand our attention? In Geospatial Information Sciences, the focus shifts to identifying issues that possess a unique duality: they must be sufficiently interesting to warrant pursuit and sufficiently difficult to promise a rich reward upon resolution.

The importance of timing cannot be overstated. An idea or problem may lie dormant for years, its potential unrealized, waiting for a confluence of technology, societal need, and intellectual insight to catalyze its solution. The skilled information scientist must possess a keen sense of this timing, recognizing when the moment has arrived to engage with a challenge that others may have dismissed.

As we delve deeper into the realms of artificial intelligence, climate change, and urban planning, the intersection of artistic sensibility and analytical prowess becomes ever more apparent. The most successful information scientists are those who are not only adept at manipulating data but are also storytellers at heart. They craft narratives from numbers, breathing life into statistics and transforming them into compelling visualizations that communicate urgency, possibility, and beauty.

In conclusion, the role of an information scientist in Geospatial Information Sciences transcends the technical mastery of tools and methodologies. It is a vocation that calls for a synthesis of emotional and spatial intelligence, a fertile intellectual curiosity, and a discerning eye for ideas that inspire and challenge. As we continue to grapple with the complexities of our world, it is this unique blend of artistry and science that will illuminate pathways to understanding, guiding us toward solutions that resonate deeply within the human experience.

Peer-reviewed scientific papers, professional reports, journal articles, videos, posters...

Journals

Henson, W. E., Garth, R., & Franklin, C. (2021). Facilitating Effective Utilization of Water Science Research Among Emergency Flood Responders. Open Water Journal, 7(1), 5.

Scientific papers

Sreedharan, J. and Franklin, C. (2022). "Location Intelligent IS: GIS Decision-making and GISc Innovations.", AIS Conference, Minneapolis, MN. August 15. aisel.aisnet.org

Data Science and Analytics for Decision Support

Franklin, C. and Sreedharan, J. (2022). "Building GIS Platforms for Spatial Business: A Focus on the Science of Maximizing Location Intelligence Benefits Through Risk/Cost Management.", In Proceedings of the 55th H.I.C.S.S. (Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences), January. Nominated Best Paper. January 7.

Franklin, Christopher and Jayashree Sreedharan (2021). "Green IS, DSS & CyberGIS: Sustainable Growth and CO2 Reduction?." Information Systems, Austin, TX. December 12.

Franklin, C. G. (2018). "Three Essays for the Retail Planner: Spatializing Bass Temporalizing Huff and Visualizing the Ensemble.", The University of Texas at Dallas. August. https://www.tdl.org

Henson, Whitney E., Richard Garth, and Christopher Franklin (2021). "Facilitating Effective Utilization of Water Science Research Among Emergency Flood Responders." C.U.A.S.H.I. (Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydro-logic Science, Inc.), Innovations Summer Institute, Open Water Journal, 7.1: 5. May 10.

Website Simulation

Managing an emergency situation can be a complicated and multi-faceted task. One of the most crucial, and oftentimes overlooked, parts of any efficient disaster response is effective communication between various domains, such as information sources, emergency managers, and those impacted by the event. Numerous after-action reports from major incidents in the past always cite communication as one of the primary challenges. In an effort to solve this problem, we present a conceptual “translator” conceptual platform for synergy between the science (cloud) domain and the social (cloud) domain. Our Translator-TTX platform will eventually support, using live, real-time data, both emergency management simulated training exercises as well as real-time emergency incident command and control.

Translator-TTX

Reports

United Nations (2021). “Sustainable Development Goals”, Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development. Source: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Moore, Steven (2021). "I think that business is going to have to lead the way in addressing climate change. Governments are pretty much stalled in the effort.”, Comments made regarding the establishment of the “Sustainable Entrepreneurial Climate Change Initiatives and Innovations (SE2ci) Institute”, University of Redlands, CA. June 2.

Maidment, David R., Adnan Rajib, Peirong Lin, and Edward P. Clark. (2016). "National Water Center Innovators Program Summer Institute Report." Res. Summer 4, [Paper 14, by Henson, Garth and Franklin, features another online portal that takes into account social norms and human behavior in emergency response. University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, October.

Henson, Whitney, R. Garth. and C. Franklin (2016). Translator TTX–Bridging the Communication Gap between Researchers and Emergency Responders." National Water Center Innovators Program Summer Institute Report. 2016, University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, 4, 105. July. Nominated Best Paper.

Das, Krishna and C. Franklin (2023). "Travel 4 Life", NITI Aayog and LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), Kollam, Kerala, India.

Franklin, C. (2022). "Location Intelligent IS: GIS Decision-making and GISc Innovations.",

“Understanding Space -Time Diffusion in a Retail Ecosystem for Home Improvement Products: How to Combine the Temporal Bass Model and Spatial Huff Model”

Posters

Understanding Space-Time Diffusion in a Store Level Trade Area.

Typical Journals

Open Water Journal™ is a typical interdisciplinary, international academic journal that publishes original research papers, case studies, software introductions, and dataset descriptions in the water science domain. Water research is an inherently broad discipline and, consequently, supports a number of academic journals with highly specialized niche foci. In contrast, Open Water Journal seeks to provide a fully open access venue for researchers to both publish and access high-quality interdisciplinary research and technology regarding all aspects of water science.

Relevant topics for research papers and submissions include, but are not limited to, surface water hydrology, groundwater hydrology, water policy, water resources planning, hydroinformatics, river restoration, climate hydrology, data analysis, watershed simulation, reservoir management, water/wastewater treatment, and water distribution. Presentations may be in the form of original research articles, conference papers, software introductions, and dataset descriptions. Open Water Journal™ is particularly interested in publishing articles with linked companion datasets, models, and tools published through the CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System, HydroShare.org, Sead-Data.net, Figshare.org, and related open access systems. Articles should advance development and use of open data, open source software, and open access models and technologies.

Videos to Learn More about Open Water Journal and Open Water Science

NOTE: The first four volumes of Open Water contain abstracts from previous OpenWater Symposia. Beginning in 2017, the journal moved to a peer-reviewed research article format.

History of Open Water Journal

Open Water Symposium, Delft, The Netherlands, April 2011 (Open Water Journal Volume 1, Issue 1)
Open Water Journal website launched: August 2014
Open Water Symposium, Brussels, Belgium: September 2013 (Open Water Journal Volume 2, Issue 1)
Hosting agreement with BYU (website hosting), Bepress (journal management system), and HydroMap (journal owner/publisher): August 2015
Open Water Symposium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: September 2015 (Open Water Journal Volume 3, Issue 1)
Editorial Board Expanded: May 2016
Volume 4, Issue 1 in pre-production
Currently accepting submissions for Open Water Journal Volume 4, Issue 2, June 2017

Philosophy of Open Water Journal™

The Open Water Journal™ editorial board is comprised of active researchers in the water domain, so we know that there are many venues where you can publish your work. In fact, we serve on review boards and publish our research in several leading journals, including Environmental Modelling & Software (EMS), Water Resources Research (WRR), Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA), Journal of Hydrology, Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, and others. So, what is the purpose of Open Water Journal™? Why another journal?

We saw a niche need for a fully open access venue to publish Data Descriptions, Software Introductions, Conference Papers, and Research Articles that explicitly use or present open access or open source data and tools. Open Water Journal™ authors are encouraged to publish companion datasets and tools in open repositories such as HydroShare.org, Sead-Data.net, Figshare.org, and the CUASHI Hydrologic Information System.

While Open Water Journal™ invites all water-related research manuscripts, our special focus on open access data and tools complements these other publication venues.

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H2-DRONE DELIVERY RESEARCH

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2208.04357.pdf

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