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Staff Profile

Dr David Fairbairn

Visiting Fellow

  • Address: Geomatics
    School of Engineering
    Cassie Building
    Â鶹´«Ã½
    Â鶹´«Ã½ upon Tyne
    NE1 7RU
    UK
Background

Introduction

Being fascinated both by the look and the value of maps, I have wide-ranging interests in cartography, from assessing map use strategies in navigation to quantifying the information content of historic mapping. 21st century cartography is redefining this ancient art/science and opening up significant opportunities in geospatial data handling. My recent projects on crowdsourcing and VGI, generalisation, the role of geo-visualisation in decision-making, and education in geomatics reflect this.

Please note that I have been retired since 30th September 2019, but still retain interest outside the classroom in the discipline of cartography.

Background

I was a member of staff at Â鶹´«Ã½ from 1978 to 2019 and thus accumulated considerable experience in teaching and researching in subject areas which changed beyond recognition during that period. My teaching always focussed on mapping and the handling of geospatial data. The nature of the discipline of cartography, which covers a vast range of human activity and enquiry, including measurement science, data processing, information technology, image analysis, graphic production, socio-economic and environmental applications, institutional policy, aesthetics, history, and culture, remains an essential adjunct to the Â鶹´«Ã½ approach to the subject of 'geospatial engineering'. It is this area of the School's activity to which I contributed. My specific research interests were therefore highly varied during my period as an active academic.

Responsibilities

I was Degree Programme Director for the two undergraduate degree courses in Geomatics (including the only undergraduate GIS degree in the UK) from the mid 1990s to 2015, acting also as Admissions Tutor for these programmes. I supervised a significant number of postgraduate research students in a range of projects and retained some duties in this activity post-retirement.

Qualifications 

My qualifications include an undergraduate BA degree in Geography from University College London; a postgraduate Diploma in Cartography from ITC, The Netherlands; and an MSc (obtained by research) and a PhD, both from Â鶹´«Ã½. 

Memberships 

I am a Fellow of the British Cartographic Society, and was also recognised by the International Cartographic Association as an Honorary Fellow in 2015. I have had significant administrative and outreach roles with each of these organisations, along with the GIS Research UK organisation, over many decades.

Industrial experience 

I have previously been employed both in academia (as a Research Associate at Reading University) and in the commercial world (as an Atlas Editor for George Philip Ltd.).


 



 

Research

Research Interests

Map and image data extraction (LIDAR, landscape analysis, historic maps and images)

Spatial data handling (map use, mobile technologies)

Practical map making (crowdsourced data, VGI, generalisation, geo-visualization)

Policy issues (opensource methods, SDIs)

Theoretical cartography (information content, map complexity)

Other Expertise

Educational issues in cartography and geomatics

Environmental satellite remote sensing

Current Work

Eye-tracking to determine map use behaviour and effective map design

Conceptual issues and paradigms in cartography

Research Roles

Coordinator of Â鶹´«Ã½ / Northumberland National Park Authority research liaison

Postgraduate Supervision

Successful research students recently:

Karen Rann (2022): Horizontal Hills: A Creative Historical Geography of the Emergence of Contour Lines in Nineteenth-Century Britain and Ireland

Jessica Hepburn (2022): The role of geovisualisation to support decision-making in major engineering projects

Kaizer Moreri (Botswana) (2018): The role of volunteered geographic information in land administration systems in developing countries

Mustafa Hameed (Iraq) (2018): Assessing the role of volunteered geographic information in enhancing Iraqi land administration systems

Maythm Al-Bakri (Iraq) (2012): Developing Tools and Models for Evaluating Geospatial Data Integration of Official and VGI Data Sources

Khalid Al-Haidan (Bahrain) (2009): Towards a national spatial data infrastructure for the Kingdom of Bahrain

Miao Wang (China) (2008): Real-time dynamic simulation of special event crowd by integrating ABM and GIS

Gobe Hobona (Botswana/UK) (2007): Web-based discovery and dissemination of multidimensional geographic information

Sirivilai Teerarojanarat (Thailand) (2007): Micro-simulation urban land use change modelling : the case of Ladprao, Bankok, Thailand

Wiske Rotinsulu (Indonesia) (2007): Modelling spatial distributions of tropical palms of Sulawesi, Indonesia : an integration of GIS and statistical approaches

Nosakhare Erharuyi (Nigeria) (2006): A task level adaptation approach in mobile GIS for disaster response decision support

Henny Mehner (Germany/UK) (2005): The potential of high spatial resolution remote sensing for mapping upland vegetation using advanced classification methods

Esteem Indicators

previous Chair, Commission on Education and Training, International Cartographic Association

Honorary Fellowship of the International Cartographic Association

previous Chair, International Cartographic Association Awards Committee

Current Book Review Editor, International Journal of Cartography

Current Editorial Board member, The Cartographic Journal; International Journal of Cartography

Editor, The Cartographic Journal

Main supervisor of internationally-sponsored PhD students

Referee for international research council applications

Invited keynote presentations (e.g. EuroCarto 2022, Vienna) and chairing of sessions at international conferences

Secretary/Treasurer of GISRUK (premier UK GIS research body)

Vice-President, International Cartographic Association

Secretary General and Treasurer, International Cartographic Association

Funding

Capita/Ministry of Defence, Review of educational provision £18,000 2017

JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee), SAW-GEO OGC Collision project £97,000 2006/8

Â鶹´«Ã½ City Council, Metadatabases and knowledge engineering in a local authority £56,000 2004/05

JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee), eMapScholar £48,000 2001/2

Joint Research Centre (European Union), MURBANDY (Monitoring URBAN DYnamics), 47,700 ECUs (euros) 1999

Industrial Relevance

Map production

Cartographic design and editing

Teaching

I was module leader for these undergraduate modules when I retired in 2019:


module CEG1605 Tutorial Study Skills for Earth Scientists

module CEG1702/1710 Introduction to GIS

module CEG1711 Tutorial Study Skills for Geomatics

module CEG1714 GIS Fieldcourse

 

module CEG2704 Geographic Information Systems

module CEG2720 Practice and Research Geomatics

module CEG2718 Applied Geospatial Data Handling

 

module CEG3799 Research Project


Publications

  • Articles

    • Fairbairn D, Hepburn J. . International Journal of Cartography 2023, 9(2), 231-254.
    • Fairbairn D, Gartner G, Peterson M. . International Journal of Cartography 2025, 11(1), 42-62.
    • Al-Bakri M, Fairbairn D. . Geomatics and Environmental Engineering 2023, 17(5), 87-105.
    • Fairbairn D, Gartner G, Peterson M. . International Journal of Cartography 2021, 7(3), 317-331.
    • Chen B, Li Z, Yu C, Fairbairn D, Kang J, Hua J, Liang L. . Remote Sensing of Environment 2020, 240, 11163.
    • Li Z, Li Z, Fairbairn D, Li N, Xu B, Feng H, Yang G. . Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 2019, 162, 174-182.
    • Li N, Huang X, Zhao H, Qiu X, Deng K, Jia G, Li Z, Fairbairn D, Gong X. . Sensors 2019, 19(2), 328.
    • Moreri K, Fairbairn D, James P. . International Journal of Geographical Information Science 2018, 32(5), 931-959.
    • Guo J, Li X, Li Z, Hu L, Yang G, Zhao C, Fairbairn D, Watson D, Ge M. . Precision Agriculture 2018, 19(5), 895-911.
    • Mocnik FB, Fairbairn D. . The Cartographic Journal 2018, 55(1), 36-57.
    • Moreri K, Fairbairn D, James P. . Land Use Policy 2018, 77, 402-411.
    • Hameed M, Fairbairn D, Speak S. . International Journal of Geographic Information 2017, 6(12), 385.
    • Fairbairn D. . Cartes & Geomatique 2014, 221, 155-160.
    • Fairbairn D, Al-Bakri M. . ISPRS International Journal of GeoInformation 2013, 2(2), 349-370.
    • Fairbairn D, Jadidi MN. . The Cartographic Journal 2013, 50(4), 311-323.
    • Al-Bakri M, Fairbairn D. . International Journal of Geographic Information Science 2012, 26(8), 1437-1456.
    • Hobona G, Fairbairn D, Hiden H, James P. . IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering 2010, 7(2), 407-411.
    • Fairbairn D. . e-Perimetron 2009, 4(2), 131-139.
    • Virrantaus K, Fairbairn D, Kraak MJ. . Cartography and Geographic Information Science 2009, 36(2), 209-222.
    • Virrantaus K, Fairbairn D, Kraak MJ. . The Cartographic Journal 2009, 46(2), 63-75.
    • Virrantaus K, Fairbairn D, Kraak MJ. . Cartographica 2009, 44(1), 45-55.
    • Virrantaus K, Fairbairn D. . Polish Cartographical Review 2008, 40(1), 7-20.
    • Hobona GE, James PM, Fairbairn D. . IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications 2006, 26(4), 28-33.
    • Hobona GE, James PM, Fairbairn D. . International Journal of Geographic Information Science 2006, 20(5), 469-490.
    • Fairbairn D. . The Cartographic Journal 2006, 43(3), 224-238.
    • Mills H, Cutler MEJ, Fairbairn D. . International Journal of Remote Sensing 2006, 27(11), 2177-2195.
    • Mehner H, Fairbairn D, Cutler M, Thompson G. . Global Ecology and Biogeography 2004, 13(4), 359-369.
    • Fairbairn D, Erharuyi N. . Geowissenschaftliche Mitteilungen (Technische Universitat Wien) 2004, 66, 11-15.
    • Erharuyi N, Fairbairn D. . Geography 2003, 88(4), 312-318.
    • Teng CH, Fairbairn D. . International Journal of Remote Sensing 2002, 23(3), 555-567.
    • Fairbairn D, Andrienko N, Andrienko G, Buziek G, Dykes J. . Cartography and Geographic Information Science 2001, 28(1), 13-28.
    • Taylor G, Kudowor AYT, Fairbairn D. . Journal of Surveying Engineering 2001, 127(2), 59-77.
    • Taylor GE, Fairbairn D, Parsley S. . Photogrammetric Record 2000, 16(96), 1007-1021.
    • Fairbairn D, Parker D, Taylor GE. . Engineering Surveying Showcase 2000, (1), 45-46.
    • Teng CH, Fairbairn D. . The Malaysian Surveyor 2000, 35(2), 14-26.
    • Davis DJA, Fairbairn D. . ITC Journal 1998, 1998(2), 106-112.
    • Fairbairn D, Parsley S. . Computers & Geosciences 1997, 23(4), 475-481.
    • Fairbairn D. . Cartography 1996, 25(2), 23-30.

  • Authored Books

    • Fairbairn D. . Danbury CT: Grolier Educational, 2002.
    • Fairbairn D. . Danbury, Connecticut, USA: Grolier Academic Reference, 2002.
    • Fairbairn D. . Danbury CT: Grolier Educational, 2002.
    • Fairbairn D. . Danbury CT: Grolier Educational, 2002.
    • Fairbairn D. . Danbury CT: Grolier Educational, 2002.

  • Book Chapters

    • Fairbairn D. . In: Monmonier,M, ed. History of Cartography: Cartography in the Twentieth Century. Chicago, IL, USA: University of Chicago Press, 2015, pp.1326-1330.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: Vozenilek V, ed. Modern Trends in Cartography. Springer, 2015, pp.13-22.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: Gong J; Fairbairn D; Woldai, T; Yue P, ed. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. ISPRS, 2014, pp.19-23.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: Field,K; Kent,AJ, ed. Landmarks in Mapping. Leeds, UK: Maney Publishing, 2014, pp.140-143.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: Gong J; Fairbairn D; Woldai T; Yue P, ed. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 2014, pp.25-29.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: M. Buchroithner, N. Prechtel, D. Burghardt, ed. Cartography from Pole to Pole: Selected Contributions to the XXVIth International Conference of the ICA. Springer, 2013, pp.461-470.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: Cartwright, W; Gartner, G; Lehn, A, ed. Cartography and Art. Berlin: Springer, 2009, pp.23-34.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: MacEachren, A; Kraak, M-J; Dykes, J, ed. Exploring Geovisualization: International Cartographic Association. Oxford: Elsevier, 2005, pp.503-517.
    • Brodlie K, Fairbairn D, Kemp Z, Schroeder M. . In: MacEachren, A; Kraak, M-J; Dykes, J, ed. Exploring Geovisualization: International Cartographic Association. Oxford: Elsevier, 2005, pp.415-432.
    • Fairbairn D, Taylor G. . In: Fisher, P; Unwin, D, ed. Virtual Reality in Geography. Chichester: Taylor and Francis, 2002, pp.220-238.
    • Batty M, Fairbairn D, Ogleby C, Moore K, Taylor G. . In: Fisher, P; Unwin, D, ed. Virtual Reality in Geography. Chichester: Taylor and Francis, 2002, pp.211-219.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: Parry, R; Perkins, C, ed. The Map Library in the New Millennium. London: Library Association Publishing, 2001, pp.218-231.

  • Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

    • Peterson M, Gartner G, Fairbairn D. . In: 31st International Cartographic Conference. 2023, Cape Town, South Africa: Copernicus Publications.
    • Hepburn J, Fairbairn D. . In: EuroCarto 2022. 2022, Vienna, Austria: ICA.
    • Hepburn J, Fairbairn D, James P, Ford A. . In: 30th International Cartographic Conference (ICC 2021). 2021, Florence, Italy: Copernicus Publications.
    • Hepburn J, Fairbairn D, James P, Ford A. . In: 29th Annual GIS Research UK Conference (GISRUK 2021). 2021, Cardiff.
    • Hepburn J, Fairbairn D, Barr S. Spatial decision-making in Environmental Impact Assessments. In: GISRUK 2020. 2020, London.
    • Hepburn J, Fairbairn D. . In: 29th International Cartographic Conference. 2019, Tokyo, Japan.
    • Rann K, Fairbairn D, Southern E. . In: 29th International Cartographic Conference. 2019, Tokyo, Japan.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: 29th International Cartographic Conference. 2019, Tokyo, Japan.
    • Ji Q, Barr S, James P, Fairbairn D. . In: GISRUK 2018. 2018, Leicester, UK.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: 28th International Cartographic Conference. 2017, Washington, DC, USA: ICC.
    • Rystedt B, Ormeling F, Buckley A, Coetzee S, Vozenilek V, Fairbairn D, Kagawa A. . In: 28th International Cartographic Conference. 2017, Washington, DC, USA: ICC.
    • Hameed M, Fairbairn D, Speak S. . In: International Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications – ICCSA 2017. 2017, Trieste, Italy: Springer.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: 28th International Cartographic Conference. 2017, Washington, DC, USA: ICC.
    • Ji Q, Barr S, James P, Fairbairn D. . In: 25th GISRUK 2017. 2017, Manchester, UK: GISRUK.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: 27th International Cartographic Conference. 2015, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
    • Fairbairn D, Moreri K, James P. . In: 27th International Cartographic Conference. 2015, Rio de Janeiro.
    • Cartwright W, Fairbairn D. . In: XXII ISPRS Congress. 2012, Melbourne, Australia: ISPRS.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: 25th International Cartographic Conference. 2011, Paris, France.
    • Al-Bakri M, Fairbairn D. . In: 25th International Cartographic Conference. 2011, Paris, France.
    • Fairbairn D, Fraser D. . In: ISPRS Commission VI Mid-Term Symposium: Cross-Border Education for Global Geo-Information. 2010, ITC Enschede, The Netherlands: ISPRS.
    • Al-Bakri M, Fairbairn D. . In: Accuracy. 2010, Leicester: International Spatial Accuracy Research Association.
    • Fairbairn D, Wang M. . In: GISRUK17. 2009, Durham, UK.
    • Fairbairn D, Al-Haidan K. . In: 24th International Cartographic Conference. 2009, Santiago, Chile.
    • Greenhalgh ATH, James PM, Fairbairn D. . In: WORLDCOMP'08: The 2008 World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Applied Computing. 2008, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
    • Greenhalgh A, James P, Fairbairn D. . In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Semantic Web and Web Services (SWWS). 2008, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
    • Hobona GE, Fairbairn D, James PM. . In: Proceedings of the UK e-Science All Hands Meeting. 2007, Nottingham, UK: National e-Science Centre.
    • Hobona GE, Fairbairn D, James PM. . In: Proceedings of the 15th Annual ACM International Symposium on Advances in Geographic Information Systems. 2007, Seattle, Washington: ACM.
    • Greenhalgh A, James P, Fairbairn D. . In: 9th AGILE Conference on GIS. 2006, Visegrad, Hungary.
    • Teerarojanarat S, Fairbairn D, Barr S. . In: 25th Urban Data Management Symposium. 2006, Aalborg, Denmark.
    • Rotinsulu W, Williams M, Fairbairn D, Carlisle B. . In: Proceedings of GISRUK 13. 2005, University of Glasgow.
    • Rotinsulu W, Fairbairn D, Williams M, Carlisle B. . In: Proceedings of 13th Annual GIS Research UK Conference (GISRUK). 2005, Glasgow, UK.
    • Erharuyi N, Fairbairn D. . In: Geo-information for Disaster Management. 2005, Delft, The Netherlands: Springer.
    • Erharuyi N, Fairbairn D. . In: Proceedings of GISRUK 13. 2005, University of Glasgow.
    • Hobona GE, James PM, Fairbairn D. Spatio-Temporal Ontological Relevance Model (STORM). In: Proceedings of the 13th Geographical Information Systems Research UK Conference (GISRUK 13). 2005, University of Glasgow: GIS Research UK.
    • Hobona GE, Fairbairn D, James PM. . In: Proceedings of the 13th Geographical Information Systems Research UK Conference (GISRUK 13). 2005, University of Glasgow: GIS Research UK.
    • Teerarojanarat S, Fairbairn D, Barr S. . In: Proceedings of GISRUK 13. 2005, University of Glasgow.
    • Rotinsulu W, Fairbairn D, Williams M, Carlisle B. . In: The Palms 2005 – An International symposium on the biology of the palm family. 2005, Kew, London, UK.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: Proceedings of Joint ICA Commissions Seminar Internet-Based Cartographic Teaching and Learning: Atlases, Map Use and Visual Analytics. 2005, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid.
    • Hobona GE, Fairbairn D, James PM. . In: 22nd International Cartographic Conference. 2005, A Coruña, Spain: International Cartographic Association.
    • Hobona GE, James PM, Fairbairn D. . In: ACM/SIGIR Workshop On Geographic Information Retrieval. 2005, Bremen, Germany: ACM Press.
    • Hobona G, James P, Fairbairn D. . In: International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management, Proceedings. 2005, Bremen, Germany: ACM Press.
    • Abele SJ, Fairbairn DJ, James PM. . In: Proceedings of the 13th Geographical Information Systems Research UK Conference (GISRUK 13). 2005, University of Glasgow: GIS Research UK.
    • Teererojanorat S, Fairbairn D, Chunithipaisan S. . In: FOSS/GRASS Users Conference. 2004, Bangkok, Thailand.
    • Mehner H, Fairbairn D, Csaplovics E, Cutler ME. . In: XXth ISPRS Congress: Geo-Imagery Bridging Continents. 2004, Istanbul, Turkey: ISPRS.
    • Mehner H, Fairbairn D, Csaplovics E, Cutler M. . In: ISPRS 20th Congress. 2004, Istanbul.
    • Rotinsulu W, Fairbairn D, Williams M. . In: Annual Conference of the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society. 2004, Aberdeen, UK.
    • Abele SJ, Fairbairn DJ. Geospatial data delivery to support LBS development: a Device Independent approach. In: Wireless GIS, Interdisciplinary EPSRC Seminar. 2004.
    • Hobona GE, James PM, Fairbairn D. . In: Proceedings of the 12th Geographical Information Systems Research UK Conference (GISRUK 12). 2004, University of East Anglia, Norwich.
    • Eppenhoff S, Bosher R, Fairbairn D. . In: Proceedings of GISRUK 11. 2003, City University, London.
    • Mehner H, Fairbairn D, Cutler M. . In: Annual Conference of the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society. 2003, Nottingham, UK: RSPSoc.
    • Hobona GE, James PM, Fairbairn D. . In: Proceedings of the 11th Geographical Information Systems Research UK Conference (GISRUK 11). 2003, City University, London.
    • Fairbairn DJ, Purves R, Abele SJ, Mackaness W, Medyckyj-Scott D, Robertson L, Wood J. . In: Geowissenschaftliche Mitteilungen. 2002, Technische Universitat Wien.
    • Fairbairn D. . In: GIS 2002 International Conference and Exhibition. 2002, Manama, Bahrain: Bahrain Society of Engineers.
    • Purves P, Medyckyj-Scott D, Fairbairn D, Mackaness W, Robertson L, Wood J. . In: GISRUK 2002. 2002, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK: GIS Research UK.
    • Fairbairn DJ, Dykes J, Moore K. . In: Proceedings VRML 99 - Fourth symposium on The virtual reality modelling language. 1999, Germany: ACM Press.

  • Edited Books

    • Gong J, Fairbairn D, Woldai T, Yue P, ed. . ISPRS, 2014.
    • Fairbairn D, ed. . Durham, 2009.
    • Forrest D, Fairbairn D, Chilton S, ed. . Maney Publishing, 2007.
    • Fairbairn D, ed. . New York, USA: Barnes and Noble Books, 2004.
    • Fairbairn D, ed. . San Francisco, California, USA: Fog City Press, 2004.
    • Fairbairn D, ed. . Danbury CT: Grolier Educational, 2002.

  • Editorial

    • Fairbairn D. . Cartographic Perspectives 2015, 80, 3-5.

  • Exhibition

    • Panneels I, Fairbairn D. . 2015. Sunderland: National Glass Centre.

  • Working Paper

    • Fairbairn D, Ormeling F. . 28th Session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names: Proceedings 2014, 12.