GE3502GE5502 Geographic and Land Information Systems

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GE3502/GE5502Geographic and LandInformation
Systems
Steps in Beginning a GIS project Assignment 1
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Steps in Beginning a GIS project.

• Keep it simple. Unnecessarily complex processes
  increases the likelihood of error, and geographic
  information can be very expensive.
• Read documentation
• Use existing data if possible (cheaper)
• Plan ahead. Get your flowcharts and data sources
  sorted.
• Keep good records (source data and analysis
  performed for each step)
• Check results. ie. are they logical? Do this
  prior to next step.
• Consult with experts.

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Planning of Assignment 1

• 1. Overall structure of the report
• 2. Planning your approach
• 3. Background to the problem
• 4. The questions
• 5. Available data
• 6. Outputs required to answer questions.
• 7. Procedures for Undertaking Analyses
• 8. Discussion

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1. Overall Structure of the Report

• This is a scientific report, and as such requires
  a conventional scientific report structure as
  follows (this is modified in part to allow for
  the presentation of maps)
• Title
• Must be brief (lt 20 words) and allude to your
  MAIN MESSAGE!
• Introduction
• Background information
• Scope and focus of study
• Logical framework of report
• Usually written last
• Specific aims and objectives

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Overall Structure of the Report cont.

• Methods
• Important in quantitative studies
• Includes study design, research concepts and
  techniques
• Describes data collection and analysis
• Your Design Outline is included in the methods.
• Results
• Usually divided into sub-sections
• Contains facts and refers to examples, tables,
  graphs, diagrams, etc.
• Is not the place to discuss results - just
  present them
• Tables, graphs and maps should be placed in
  appendices.

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Overall Structure of the Report cont.

• Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations
• In large reports these are usually separate
  sections
• Interpret data presented in results
• Appropriate time for speculation or presenting a
  new hypothesis
• Provides rationale basis for recommendations
• Conclusions should be forcefully and
  convincingly expressed
• Appendices
• Contains tables, graphs and maps
• NOTE Maps can be presented in the appendices in
  black white hard copy, but also emailed as .gif
  or .jpg attachments to me, with each map given
  the title and its figure number.

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2. Planning Your Approach

• In any GIS analysis, there are a logical series
  of steps that should be followed.
• 1. Review the Problem
• Look at the objectives and the reporting
  requirements and work out exactly what is
  required
• 2. Review the Available Information
• Critical assessment of relevance and suitability
  of data

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2. Planning Your Approach cont.

• 3. Design
• How you intend to undertake the analysis.
• A flowchart showing the operations you are going
  to use
• outputs you intend to produce for each of the
  objectives.
• This is the most important activity. Draw it out
  (even show it to someone) and have it in front of
  you before you start the work.

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2. Planning Your Approach cont.

• 4. Produce Outputs
• ArcINFO Arcview time in the lab.
• should be a relatively small proportion of the
  effort required to complete this assignment.
• NOTE WRITE DOWN YOUR COMMANDS, SO THAT IF YOU
  LOSE A COVERAGE, YOU CAN REPEAT THE PREVIOUS
  STEPS QUICKLY AND EASILY.

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2. Planning Your Approach cont.

• 5. Analysis of Outputs
• Reviewing what you have obtained in light of the
  objectives and writing an outline report
• 6. Presentation
• Tables, histograms, maps and text. Usually the
  most time-consuming. It is the last thing people
  do in the lab and the one where people do not
  allot themselves enough time.