Locating spatial data in the social sciences

Jonathan Reades

Chapter 2 in Handbook of Spatial Analysis in the Social Sciences, 2022, pp 16-35 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter is intended as an accessible introduction to the kinds of practical issues that social scientists can expect to encounter as they begin to work with spatial data. Taking as a starting point a single tweet, we explore the different ways that location can be embedded in data, with different 'clues' often pointing in wildly different directions! I stress the importance of slow, careful and, above all, critical engagement as the key to unlocking the power of these new forms of data. The larger the data set the more important this engagement becomes: we should never confuse 'volume' with 'truth', but provided that we frame our questions and our findings with care, that also shouldn't stop us from making the most of the exciting opportunities for social science research made possible by our always-on, digitally-enabled lives.

Keywords: Development Studies; Economics and Finance; Environment; Geography; Research Methods; Sociology and Social Policy; Urban and Regional Studies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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