Network analyses with the use of spatial databases

An analysis is the process of browsing and searching for specific information from an entire dataset. The simplest analysis that can be performed on the data is visual analysis. However, it does not provide absolute certainty as to correctness and quality. A more advanced way of selecting required data is computer-based analysis. Analytical operations are performed on the data entered into the computer. The user defines the query, and the program performs calculations and displays the answer on the monitor screen. The aim of this publication is to conduct network analyses with the use of spatial databases. Besides focusing on the analysis as the leading research method, the paper also adopts this method to analyze the literature on the subject. In addition, the paper points to the complementary roles of the raster model and the vector model, emphasizing their coexistence. The paper shows a variety of applications of GIS analyses, from simple buffers around selected areas, through selection, and the intersection of layers, to network analyses. The high degree of advancement of GIS tools allows to build advanced models in which analyses that go beyond the original application of the collected databases can be run.