Syllabus

GEOG 090:  Quantitative Methods in Geography

Spring 2005

Instructor:  David Tenenbaum

 

Course Description:

 

This course provides an introduction to univariate and bivariate statistics.  An emphasis is placed upon the application of statistical approaches to geographic problems.  In the first section of the course, descriptive univariate statistics are developed and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.  Various types of spatial distributions are identified and spatial statistics utilized to quantitatively assess their pattern.  The fundamentals of probability are discussed briefly and used to introduce probability distributions.

 

In the second section of the course, sampling designs are discussed and methods of hypothesis testing described.  First, however, data quality issues are addressed, as well as the misuse of statistics in research.  The central limit theorem is discussed and utilized to establish a theoretical basis for sampling and hypothesis testing.  Various parametric tests are used to identify the significance levels of differences between sample means, deviations, distributions, etc.  In the latter portions of the course, multivariate relationships are introduced and explored through the use of correlation and linear regression procedures.  The influences of spatial autocorrelation, data aggregation and sample size on multivariate relationships are identified.

 

As the course emphasizes the application of geographic problems, homework exercises using geographic data will be assigned regularly.  Each student will learn to use the Data Analysis plug-in for Microsoft Excel to solve statistical problems.

 

Office hours: 

 

1:00 – 3:00 PM Monday

            3:30 – 5:00 PM Tuesday

Other times by appointment only.

325 Saunders Hall

Email: davidten@email.unc.edu

Phone: 843-4762

 

Grading Policy:

 

Final course grades will be determined using the following formula:

 

Test 1 (Thursday, February 17, 2005): 15%

Test 2 (Thursday, March 31, 2005): 15%

Open Book Final Exam: 30%

            Exercises: 40%

 

Note: No make up tests are given. Any student failing to take an exam will score zero for that test unless a legitimate, documented reason is presented. In the latter case the student will have the average score from their other exams added in place of the missing test.
 

Required Textbook:

 

Peter A. Rogerson. 2001.  Statistical Methods for Geography.  Great Britain:  Sage.

 

 

Topics (Tentative, subject to change)                     Chapter:Pages

 

Introduction and Basic Definitions

 

Introduction to the course and statistical thinking                        1:1-4,12-13

Data types, geographical primitives, and data portrayal              Lecture

Special consideration for spatial data                                         1:13-15

 

Univariate Descriptive Statistics

 

Review of algebraic and sigma notation                                     2:18-23

Measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode)                 1:5-6

Measures of disperson (variance, standard deviation etc.)          1:6-7

Skewness and kurtosis                                                              1:7-8

Descriptive Statistics Review

 

Probability Distributions

 

Introduction to probability distributions                                      2:23-25

Discrete (Uniform, Binomial & Poisson) distributions                 2:25-27

Continuous (normal) distributions & the central limit theorem      2:27-31

 

Review for test on February 17, 2005

 

Sampling & Inferential Statistics

 

Sources of data, data quality, sampling methods                        3:57-58

Confidence intervals, hypothesis testing (part 1)                         2:30-31, 3:42-46

Hypothesis testing (part 2) and levels of significance                   3:42-46

Computing test statistics (Z-tests, t-tests, F-test), (part 2)          3:46-54

Comparing groups of observations (ANOVA)                          4:65-70

 

Review for test on March 31, 2005

 

Correlation and Regression

 

Covariance and the Pearson Correlation Coefficient                  5:86-94

Nonparameteric correlation:  Spearman’s rank corr. coef.         5:94-95

Regression Analysis:  Least squares method, testing r2,              6:104-118

  assumptions, testing regression parameters

 

Spatial Patterns                                                           

 

Point Pattern Analysis                                                               8:154-164

Geographic Patterns in Areal Data                                            8:164-173

 

Final Exam Review (part1, part2)

 

 

Assignments

 

Assignment #1:  Scales of Measurement, Geographic Primitives and Data Portrayal

Due:  Thursday, February 3, 2005 at the beginning of class

 

Assignment #2:  Simple Descriptive Statistics

Due:  Thursday, February 17, 2005 at the beginning of class

 

Assignment #3:  Probability, Discrete, and Continuous Distributions

Due:  Thursday, March 3, 2005 at the beginning of class

 

Assignment #4:  Sampling, Confidence Intervals, and Hypothesis Testing

Due:  Tuesday, March 29, 2005 at the beginning of class (Extension given)

 

Assignment #5:  More Hypothesis Testing

Due:  Thursday, April 14, 2005 at the beginning of class

 

Assignment #6:  Correlation and Regression

Due:  Thursday, April 28, 2005 at the beginning of class