Advanced spatial analysis 15 credits

About the course

The course deepens the student's skills and knowledge in qualitative and quantitative spatial methods and gives the student the necessary tools to write a master's thesis in the subject of human geography. During the course, skills are also developed to assess methods and results, write reports and other analytical tasks linked to spatial planning and tourism. 

Module 1: Research design, 3 credits
The first part of the course deals with the research design of human geographical studies, with particular focus on formulating research questions and the role of theory. 

Module 2: Advanced qualitative methods in human geography, 6 credits
The second part of the course deepens knowledge about the process of working with qualitative methods within the subject human geography, from positioning oneself within a philosophy of science perspective and research design to data collection, analysis, and writing. Special focus is on analysis of empirical materials, as well as presentation of analysis, results, and conclusions. Examples of method traditions that are highlighted are discourse analysis, narrative analysis, text analysis, and biographical approach.

Module 3: Advanced quantitative methods in human geography, 6 credits
The last part of the course provides in-depth knowledge of quantitative analysis methods that deal with spatial relationships in different ways and when they are appropriate to apply. The student gets to work with spatial regressions that take into account that geographical relationships can vary between different places depending on their characteristics. The module includes performing spatial regressions using geographic information systems (GIS), exploring the importance of scales in spatial analysis and geographic data, and presenting analysis, results, and conclusions.

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