Spatial Data Analysis and Geocomputation for Decision Making Essex Summer School 25th July - 5th August 2016 ** Registration Ends 31st May ** Course Content This course will teach you how to understanding and get the most from your spatial data, as well as how to make publication quality maps and use spatial analysis techniques to support your work. The course covers the theoretical background to spatial data and GIS, including how to use spatial data effectively and correctly, understanding different types of spatial data and how to critically look at maps. We will also focus on the practical implementation of these skills using a variety of software packages. These include QGIS, a free open source GIS package similar to ArcGIS, R / RStudio, a free open source statistical program which has a wide range of spatial analysis capabilities and GeoDa, a free open source package for spatial analysis. Course Objectives Participants will understand the forms and types of spatial data (raster/vector, shape files, geodatabases, etc.) as well as developing the skills to create publication quality maps and to perform spatial data analysis on a range of spatial data sets. We will show you how to make use of spatial data in their own work, including making site maps, using GIS for decision making and performing geocomputation analysis. Analysis will include clustering, hot spot analysis and regression. Course Prerequisites No existing GIS knowledge is required, but some basic familiarity with Google Maps or Open Street Maps (for example, using it to look at your local area) is useful. Also participants should be familiar with basic computer use (e.g. Word, Excel, etc.) and working with files & zip files. No experience of QGIS or R is required, but participants should be aware that R is command line driven, and so they should be prepared to learn how to code and write short scripts If you have any questions, please email or phone me. For more details and to book your place, please go to http://essexsummerschool.com/summer-school-facts/courses/complete-2016-course-list/2n-spatial-data-analysis-and-geocomputation-for-decision-making/ Best wishes, Nick. --