Integrative use of census and GIS

Census is an ancient phenomenon, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a modern day marvel. What both have in common is their direct relationship to geography. Despite the wealth of information available in the census, unearthing this information with GIS is largely underutilised. This research essay opens with a review on census and GIS as two components for integration. To assess integrative use between census and GIS for decision making, a custom framework was developed called CENGIS (derived from census and GIS) to assess integrative use through key aspects such as tabulation, representation, aggregation and disaggregation. Each integrative aspect is then evaluated according to frequency of use and overall usability from which the degree of integrative use is determined. In conclusion the study ends with a synthesis on its key findings as well as proposals for future research.