Spatial Statistics With Geographic Information Systems

Dr. David Unwin

Aim of Course:

Spatial analysis often uses methods adapted from conventional analysis to address problems in which spatial location is the most important explanatory variable. This course, which is directed particularly to students with backgrounds in either computing or statistics but who lack a background in the necessary geospatial concepts, will explain and give examples of the analysis that can be conducted in a geographic information system such as ArcGIS or Mapinfo. The motivation is simple: it is one thing to run a GIS, but quite another to use it analytically to help answer questions such as:

• Is there an unusual cluster of crimes/cases of a disease here that we need to worry about?
• Do these data show variation across the country that I need to know about?
• What is the most propable air temperature here?

In the course we will explore methods that enable answers to be given to these, and similar, questions involving spatial variation.

Who Should Take This Course:

Analysts and researchers who need to know how to use and interpret the data from Geographic Information Systems (GIS's), including those in environmental analysis and management, banking, insurance, logistics, law enforcement services, defense, media, real estate, retail and more.

For those enrolled in a Program of Advanced Statistical Studies, this is a required or elective course in the following Programs:

• Biostatistics (epidemiology) - elective
• Statistics for Environmental Science - elective
• Data Mining - elective
• Engineering Statistics - elective

Course Program:

The course is structured as follows:

The Instructor:

Dr. David Unwin , until his retirement in 2002, was Professor of Geography at Birkbeck College, University of London, where he retains an Emeritus Chair in the subject. He is also a Visiting Professor in the Department of Geomatic Engineering at University College, also in the University of London. His work using and developing spatial statistics in research stretches back some 40 years, and he has authored over a hundred academic papers in the field, together with a series of texts, of which the most recent are his Geographic Information Analysis, 2nd edition (with D. O'Sullivan, 2010) and a series of edited collections at the interface between geography and computer science on Visualization in GIS (Hearnshaw and Unwin, 1994), Spatial Analytical Perspectives on GIS (Fischer, Scholten and Unwin, 1996) Virtual Reality in Geography (Fisher and Unwin, 2002) and, most recently representation issues in Re-presenting GIS (Fisher and Unwin, 2005). Having developed the world's first wholly internet-delivered Master's program in GIS in 1998, David Unwin has considerable experience of teaching and tutoring online.

Organization of the Course:

The course takes place over the internet, at statistics.com. During each course week, you participate at times of your own choosing - there are no set times when you must be online. Course participants will be given access to a private discussion board. In class discussions led by the instructor, you can post questions, seek clarification, and interact with your fellow students and the instructor. The course is scheduled to take place over 4 weeks, and typically requires 15 hours per week. At the beginning of each week, you receive the relevant material, in addition to answers to exercises from the previous session. During the week, you are expected to go over the course materials and work through exercises. Discussion among participants is encouraged. The instructor will provide answers and comments.

Certificates and Grades:

You may be interested only in learning the material presented, and not be concerned with grades or certificates. Or you may be enrolled in a statistics.com Program in Advanced Statistical Studies that requires demonstration of proficiency in the subject, in which case your work will be assessed for purposes of issuing a grade. Or you may require only a "Certificate of Course Completion," along with professional development credit in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEU's). As you begin the class, you will be asked to specify your category.

Credit:

This course offers continuing education units (CEU's). For those successfully completing the course (generally this means marks of 50% or better on the homework), 5.0 CEU's and a certificate will be issued by statistics.com, upon request.

Dates:

Nov. 12 - Dec. 10, 2010
Click here to be notified of future course offerings.

Participants gain access to the online materials on the first day of the course, and typically spend about 15 hours per week (at their convenience). You retain full access to course materials, including discussion board, for two weeks after the course closing date.

Level:

Intermediate

Prerequisite:

To gain maximum value from the course, you will have had some previous experience of basic statistical analysis to the level of correlation and regression, as well as familiarity with standard matrix/vector notation and operations. See also software requirements below.

Course Text:

Course text is required reading and is the SECOND Edition of the instructor's own joint text: O'Sullivan, D. and Unwin,D. J. (2010) Geographic Information Analysis, 2nd revised edition, (Wiley & Sons, Inc., NY), available here. Wiley typically offers statistics.com customers up to 15% discount on this book (and all other statistics titles): enter code aff15 in the Promotion Code field when prompted during checkout and click the Apply Discount button. (If you are located in Asia, the web procedure for your location may not accept this discount -- try calling your regional Wiley representative.)

Amazon may have second hand copies available. Under no circumstances should you purchase a so-called 'supplement' from a company called CRAM 101 which may well show up at the same website.

As and where necessary, the instructor has also prepared additional comments to extend the materials or point to newer work that you should know about. Students unfamiliar with basic GIS concepts might also like from time to time to consult: Longley, P.A., Goodchild, M.F., Maguire, D. J. and D. W. Rhind (2005) Geographic Information Systems and Science, 2nd Edition, (John Wiley and Sons, Ltd, Chichester, UK, 536 pages) available here

Software:

The course also features added homework assignments that use some public domain software to perform the analyses. Each of the assignments for Lessons 2-4 makes use of public domain freeware. The intention here is not to replace analyses that are available in whatever GIS it is that you run, and if it suits you better then please use it. For pedagogic reasons the instructor prefers to use these rather more educationally oriented systems. In themselves these systems are useful for learning about spatial analysis in GIS without the need to purchase a full GIS. Two things follow from this. First, students must be prepared to spend time downloading, installing and running these three systems (CrimeStat III, GeoDa and 3DField). For information on obtaining Crimestat and GeoDa, click here. All the assignments are also easily run using a fully-functional system such as ArcGIS and advice on how to do this will be given.

Registration:

Register Online - $499
Register Online (academic) - $399 (you must be affiliated with a college, university or high school)

Add $50 service fee if you require a prior invoice, or if you need to submit a purchase order or voucher, pay by wire transfer or EFT, or refund and reprocess a prior payment. Please use this printed registration form, for these and other special orders.

Note: Courses may fill up at any time and registrations are processed in the order in which they are received. Your registration will be confirmed for the first available course date, unless you specify otherwise.

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