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 poster (we need new stuff for the walls!).

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. Using GIS to help market and recruit for a university.
5. 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.
6. Middle Earth GIS. I have a dataset, and I need a couple of labs developed from it.
7. 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.
• 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 poster. Include most of the following information somewhere. But remember, the focus must be maps, maps, maps, the analysis, and the results.
  • Introduction and problem description
  • Site Description
  • Methods
  • Data issues (access, collection, quality)
  • analysis
  • results
  • Summary and conclusions.
  • 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 poster. Note, an acceptable first draft is not an acceptable final paper. The standards for the final are much higher.

Grading: This project is worth 25% of your grade, distributed as follows: Everything here will be due before midnight on the due date.

• Friday, 8 April - Research question. We can then chat about the project briefly. (1 point)
• Friday, 22 April. Draft proposal (3 points)
• friday, 29 April. show me your data and a Methods flowchart (2 points)
• Friday, 20 May, First draft of your poster. (4 points)
• Thursday, 2 June. Presentation of your poster in class. Digital - you'll slap it onto the big screen. 15 points. Based on both the poster and your presentation.

Any portions of this project handed in late will be docked 1 point 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 poster (as voted by the class) shall receive a Most Excellent Tshirts of GIS Nerddom.