Reades, Jonathan;
(2022)
Locating spatial data in the social sciences.
In: Rey, Sergio and Franklin, Rachel, (eds.)
Handbook of Spatial Analysis in the Social Sciences.
(pp. 16-35).
Edward Elgar Publishing: Cheltenham, UK.
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Abstract
This chapter is intended as an accessible introduction to the kinds of practical issues that social scientists can expect to encounter as they begin to work with spatial data. Taking as a starting point a single tweet, we explore the different ways that location can be embedded in data, with different ‘clues’ often pointing in wildly different directions! I stress the importance of slow, careful and, above all, critical engagement as the key to unlocking the power of these new forms of data. The larger the data set the more important this engagement becomes: we should never confuse ‘volume’ with ‘truth’, but provided that we frame our questions and our findings with care, that also shouldn’t stop us from making the most of the exciting opportunities for social science research made possible by our always-on, digitally-enabled lives.
| Type: | Book chapter |
|---|---|
| Title: | Locating spatial data in the social sciences |
| ISBN-13: | 978 1 78990 393 |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.4337/9781789903942.00009 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.4337/9781789903942.00009 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author submitted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | spatial data, geo-data, gazetteers, address, neighborhoods, shapefiles, open street map, maup |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10157582 |
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