GIS and Spatial Analysis for the Social Sciences: Coding, Mapping, and Modeling (Contemporary Sociological Perspectives)

ADVANCE PRAISE for GIS and SPATIAL ANALYSISfor the SOCIAL SCIENCES: Coding, Mapping, and Modeling "GIS and spatial analysis have made major inroads into the social sciences, yet it is challenging for researchers to find accessible introductions to these techniques. Parker and Asencio have provided a book that reduces the costs of entry into the field. Their manuscript has well-written and informative chapters on geocoding, mapping for analysis, and geospatial modeling. The book is loaded with screen shots that enable the reader to take a step-by-step approach to using ArcGIS software. I highly recommend this book to researchers who want to use ArcGIS to incorporate geospatial analysis into their projects." --Ken Bollen, Immerwahr Distingushed Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill "Through a series of fascinating examples, this book integrates GIS software with spatial modeling and statistical analysis. Students will appreciate its careful hands-on step-by-step approach--and so will their teachers." --David McDowall, School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany "This is ahighly accessible, clearly written and ambly illustrated book. It provides both practical and conceptual information for those interested in understanding and applying GIS. It is a great resource to students, instructors and other analysts whether they are first-time or more seasoned users of GIS as a tool for social research involving a wide range of disciplines and specialties." --Norman Giesbrecht, Senior Scientist, Center for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto "This is a first-rate book on GIS and spatial analysis. The authors adopt a "learn-by-doing" approach and make it work by combining lucid explanations of concepts and procedures with rich examples. The book will be a valuable resource to students, teachers, and researchers interested in understanding the spatial dimensions of social life." --Steven F. Messner, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Sociology, University at Albany, SUNY "This book is an excellent introduction to the latest tools and techniques for using spatial analyses to study behavior. It is written in a clear and step-by-step fashion with ample illustrations and enables the reader to quickly engage the complex tools of GIS including details concerning appropriate statistal analyses which go well beyond plotting data on maps." --Harold D. Holder, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Berkeley, California. COMPANION WEBSITE: www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415989619Robert Nash Parker is the author of 'GIS and Spatial Analysis for the Social Sciences: Coding, Mapping, and Modeling (Contemporary Sociological Perspectives)', published 2008 under ISBN 9780415989619 and ISBN 0415989612.