Quantitative and Statistical Approaches to Geography

Book excerpt: Quantitative and Statistical Approaches to Geography: A Practical Manual is a practical introduction to some quantitative and statistical techniques of use to geographers and related scientists. This book is composed of 15 chapters, each begins with an outline of the purpose and necessary mechanics of a technique or group of techniques and is concluded with exercises and the particular approach adopted. These exercises aim to enhance student's ability to use the techniques as part of the process by which sound judgments are made according to scientific standards while tackling complex problems. After a brief introduction to the principles of quantitative and statistical geography, this book goes on dealing with the topics of measures of central tendency; probability statements and maps; the problem of time-dependence, time-series analysis, non-normality, and data transformations; and the elements of sampling methodology. Other chapters cover the confidence intervals and estimation from samples, statistical hypothesis testing, analysis of contingency tests, and non-parametric tests for independent and dependent samples. The final chapters consider the evaluation of correlation coefficients, regression prediction, and choice and limitations of statistical techniques. This book is of value to undergraduate geography students.