15.1 Introduction

The aim of this chapter is to synthesize the contents, with reference to recurring themes/concepts, and to inspire future directions of application and development.Section 15.2 discusses the wide range of options for handling geographic data in R.Choice is a key feature of open source software; the section provides guidance on choosing between the various options.Section 15.3 describes gaps in the book’s contents and explains why some areas of research were deliberately omitted, while others were emphasized.This discussion leads to the question (which is answered in Section 15.4): having read this book, where to go next?Section 15.5 returns to the wider issues raised in Chapter 1.In it we consider geocomputation as part of a wider ‘open source approach’ that ensures methods are publicly accessible, reproducible and supported by collaborative communities.This final section of the book also provides some pointers on how to get involved.