信息与通信地理学是人文地理学的重要分支学科。中国的信息与通信地理学研究已经历了问题提出、信息产业和电信专题研究、知识经济时代性课题研究和主题研究4个发展阶段。2000年以来,中国信息与通信地理学进入了相对活跃的主题研究阶段。通过对11种发表人文地理论文的主要地理刊物10年发文检索,对国内信息与通信地理学主题研究阶段成果进行梳理。重点总结在外部层面的互联网地理、新空间形态和空间结构变化、信息化与区域经济发展关系、ICT对城市内外空间结构的影响、ICT与企业空间组织变革、ICT对人类空间行为的影响、网站在线服务与区位取向等7个领域所取得的理论进展,并对研究成果进行了评述。最后,提供了互联网的社会经济影响、ICT对空间组织的影响、地理空间与网络空间的耦合及地理网络空间研究、流动空间与移动性、信息社会中的区域发展政策5个未来研究议题。
Information and communication geography is an important branch of human geography. In China, the research of information and communication geography can be traced back to the "A preliminary discussion on information geography" in 1989, which was written by Ji Zengmin. After that, four development phases were underwented including problem research, special research, era research and thematic research. The information and communication geography entered a relatively active period in China since 2000. In order to let the geographer have a clearer understanding of the research results which the domestic information and communication geography obtained in nearly 10 years, to attract their attention to this new branch of human geography, and to promote the development in such researches quickly in the future, the authors took the papers in geographical journals in the past 10 years as information and examined the research achievements in geography of information and communication. Seven main research fields are identified: (1) internet geography in domestic exterior stratification, (2) new spatial pattern and structure, (3) informatization and regional economic development, (4) the inter-city or inner-city evolution under the effect of ICT, (5) ICT and spatial organization of firms, (6) ICT and human spatial behavior, and (7) website online service and location selection. Based on the review of the researches, we discovered the following characteristics of the information and communication geography in China: (1) the research groups are relatively weak; (2) the study is linmited by traditional thought, and the data and the methods are insufficient; (3) the research aims mainly at new objects, combined with traditional researches; (4) the reaserch has developed several fields, but the overall quality of the research falls behind that of overseas. Finally, the authors reviewed the research findings and presented five topics for the future, including socio-economic impac