Home Page

In this course, we review GIScience research in both the social and physical sciences, and identify the commonalities among the different research approaches. This is achieved by considering specific investigations, using examples taken from research in crime analysis, landscape ecology, and health geography.  By the completion of the course, you will be familiar with how research is conducted in these areas.

The course content is presented in three sections, covering these 3 areas, as follows:

• GIS research in crime analysis (e.g., point pattern “hot spot” analysis, the use of census data)
• GIS research in landscape ecology (e.g., scale and hierarchy theory, understanding landscape metrics, linking remote sensing and GIS in vegetation assessment)
• GIS research in health geography (e.g., spatial clustering of health events, case/control issues, Bayesian methods)

Using the menu above you can access an outline for the course, as well as the schedule of lectures and labs. A description of the project is available, as well as examples of projects produced by students in previous classes. The projects are excellent examples of the thoughtful analyses that you should be able to achieve as a result of taking this course. A list of references that relate to the material presented in this class is also available.

This course will be relevant to those with an interest in GIScience and spatial analysis, and to students and researchers in fields where space is considered an important explanatory element, including landscape ecology, conservation biology, forestry, geography, health, archaeology, planning and criminology.