The Art and Science of Doing Geography is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of research design and to the practicalities of both Qualitative and Spatial Science research methods.
Qualitative Research refers to a range of philosophies and techniques used to explore the meanings, interpretations and values of social processes and phenomena that are of interest to Human Geographers. It develops an in-depth approach to research, emphasising the contextuality of knowledge, the complexity of lifeworlds and the diversity of human experiences. As such, Qualitative Research has been innovative in reversing top down and mechanistic modes of social enquiry and thus in redefining what counts as legitimate forms of knowledge.
Spatial Science is a sub-discipline of Geography that includes the collection and interpretation of geographical data and remotely sensed imagery. It is used by almost all industries including the military, all levels of government, national parks, city planners and consultants. Remote sensing today involves satellites, aircraft and UAVs to record images of the environment. Spatial Science has radically changed our perceptions of the earth, our methods of data analysis, and our ability to solve social and environmental problems.
By the end of the course students will have developed a broad range of skills to conduct geographic research. In doing so they will be able to identify and utilise appropriate methodologies for a research project and its associated fieldwork activities. Specifically, the course will equip students in answering the following questions:
- What key procedures are necessary in the implementation of a research project?
- How do we acquire, process and critically evaluate qualitative and spatial data?
- How can we effectively write about and present empirical research findings?
