Quantitative Geography

Richard Harris is Professor of Quantitative Social Geography at the School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol. He is the lead author on two textbooks about quantitative methods in geography and related disciplines: Statistics for Geography and Environmental Science (Prentice Hall, 2011) and Geodemographics, GIS and Neighbourhood Targeting (Wiley, 2005). Richard′s research interests are in the geographies of education and the education of geographers. He is currently Director of Bristol Q-Step Centre, part of a multimillion pound UK initiative to raise quantitative skills training among social science students, and has worked with both the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and Higher Education Academy to promote numeracy and to support the transition of students from schools to University.

′Quantitative Geography: The Basics′ delivers exactly what the title promises. An engaging overview of the field that makes a strong case that all geographers can and should be exposed to statistical methods, if they are to fully engage with the contemporary discipline, and to participate effectively in wider, number-saturated, public debates.

• PART 1: ABOUT QUANTITATIVE GEOGRAPHYIntroducing Quantitative GeographyThe Use and Abuse of StatisticsPART 2: FOUNDATIONS OF QUANTITATIVE GEOGRAPHYPrinciples of Statistics (or, how statistics work)Some Maths and NotationDescriptive and Inferential StatisticsStatistical Testing, statistical significance and why they are contentiousPART 3: DOING QUANTITATIVE GEOGRAPHYData Presentation and GraphicsMapping and GISLooking at Relationships and Creating ModelsMultiple regression and geographyAnalysing Geographical Patterns and DifferencesAn Introduction to R