Advanced GIS projects

Introduction:

This class is all about everyone doing an individual GIS research project. Everyone can pick their own project, though a few ideas are given below. Note, the focus must be on analysis, not data collection or mapping. The final output will be a Story Map (Google "ESRI story map" if you don't have a clue). Something will be due every week, just to ensure things aren't put off until the end of the quarter.

Everything for the project will be turned in via Canvas - so that I can track progress in what you turn in. This will be the ONLY thing we use canvas for this quarter. Files must be in Word (.doc or .docx) format.

Available Projects - or you can do something that particularly interests YOU.

1. Habitat change in the Yellow Sea mudflats and the impacts on migratory wading birds
2. Your thesis work?
3. Develop a model which answers the question: Has the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project changed weather patterns in eastern Washington?
4. Slope length comparisons.
5. A comparison of different RUSLE slope length calculations within ArcGIS. Will require an individual with significant programming skills.
6. Using GIS to help market and recruit for a university.
7. Ranking every county in the US by scenery, climate, liveablilty, etc. Perhaps even an online version with MCDM weights. Like this, only way, way better.
8. “Supernatural GIS” – for the past three years, Advanced GIS students have created labs which involve the supernatural.  Your job would be to take these, verify them, tweak them around, and have them good to go as a series of labs.
9. Duwamish river change over time (with Bre MacInnes in Geology)
10. Any other GIS projects suggested by students will be considered.

Project requirements

• Your research question. This should be a single, non-run-on sentence. Follow it up with about a paragraph to flesh it out a bit.
• Abstracts: These will be due every week something else isn't due and are what I call "progress abstracts." They will follow this format:
  • 1-2 sentences describing what you are doing and why (basically, your research question and justification)
  • 2-3 sentences describing your general methods.
  • 1 paragraph describing what you've accomplished in the prior week.
• Draft proposal (2-4 pages, excluding maps) Include the following:

I want this specific format:

1. your research question. Done in one, single (not run-on) sentence.
2. WHAT you plan to do. This should take about half a page or so. It's an expansion of #1.
3. WHY you are doing this. Is there a literature gap? Does someone need the results? etc. Another half page or so.
4. HOW you are going to do this. 2-3 pages.
   • data collection - what data do you need, and what will you do with it.
   • data analysis - the mechanics within Arc of doing the analysis.
   • Map output - what do you expect to show at the end of the day.

Note, this is a GIS class - it's all about the analysis, not the mapping.

Worked into 2-4, I expect some literature and references to be worked in. I do NOT want an annotated bibliography. I do want a proper reference list at the end, though. I don't care which style you use (APA, turabian, MLA, etc), but pick one and stick with it.

I expect at least 3 full pages of text (this excludes figures, references, titles, etc).

• Show me your data and a flowchart showing all the data you hope to find and what you will do to it. This can be handwritten, but it does need to be very legible. You will hand in the flowchart, and show me in class your data. At this point, I expect you to have everything ready to go. No excuses about not having data, etc....
• first draft of a story map. I expect to see about the equivalent of 8-12 pages of text, excluding figures and a reference list at the end. Include most of the information in your proposal and more in the following order:
  • Introduction and problem description
  • Site Description
  • Methods
  • Data issues (access, collection, quality)
  • Software issues (detailed information regarding the commands/software used). Note, I'm not interested in the mechanics of the software here (button pushing), but what the buttons are actually doing (algorithms).
  • Summary and conclusions.
  • References (the papers/websites you refer to in your paper)
  • and many, many maps and figures. This is a GIS project.... By this time, I expect data collection and at least some of the analysis to be complete.
• final Story map (the above, but complete, legible, etc). Note, an acceptable first draft is not an acceptable final paper. The standards for the final are much higher.

Grading: This project is worth 33%% of your grade, distributed as follows: Everything here will be due before midnight on the due date.

• Monday, 1 April. Research question. We can then chat about the project briefly. (1 point)
• Monday, 8 April - abstract #1 (1 point)
• Monday, 15 April. Draft proposal (3 points)
• Monday, 22 April - abstract #2 (1 point)
• Monday, 29 April. show me your data and a Methods flowchart (3 points)
• Monday, 6 May - abstract #3 (1 point)
• Monday, 13 May, First draft of a story map. (4 points)
• Monday, 20 May, abstract #4 (1 point)
• Wednesday, 29 May. Presentation of your story map in class. Note, the only thing you will show on screen is the story map itself. You will be graded on a combination of your presentation and the story map itself. (17 points) Your story map must be posted to canvas (url within a word document) before class on this day.

Any portions of this project handed in late will be docked 2 points per day until they are handed in (or 0 is reached).

Also note: everything will also be graded on readability (spelling, grammar, organization), as such, I would highly recommend that you have someone who is very good with this sort of stuff edit your papers. If nothing else, there is the english tutoring center on campus.

Finally, the creators of the top two Story Maps (as voted by the class) shall receive Most Excellent Tshirts of GIS Nerddom.