This module aims to introduce students to research methodology, philosophy, strategy and design, and to the ethical and practical considerations associatedwith conducting research.

This module aims to provide students with an understandingof various qualitative research methods.

This module aims to enable students to develop the skillsnecessary to analyse qualitative data.​ 

Studentswill gain knowledge of ontological and epistemological positions and theirimplications for research

​Students will gain an understanding of ethical issues in research

​Students will develop the skills needed to select appropriate qualitative research methods

​Students will develop the skills to plan and conduct research using qualitative methods

​Students will develop the skills to analyse qualitative data

• To introduce the principles underlying the collection and analysis of social survey data
• To equip students to analysse social survey data
• To provide a basic competence in the use of the ''R'' statistical programming language
• To provide a platform to more advanced data analysis techniques covered in the Semester 2 module ENVS453 ''Spatial Analysis''​

The ability to produce descriptive statistics and graphical representations of quantitative variables​

​Competence in the use of a statistical programming language (R) to undertake basic social survey analysis 

1. The module provides students with core competences in Geographic Data Science (GDS). Thisincludes the following:

• Advancing their statistical and numerical literacy.

• Introducing basic principles of programming and state-of-the-art computational tools for

  GDS.

• Presenting a comprehensive overview of the main methodologies available to the Geographic

  Data Scientist, as well as their intuition as to how and when they can be applied.

• Focusing on real world applications of these techniques in a geographical and applied

  context.

​When faced with a new data-set, work independently using GIS/GDS tools programmatically.

​Understand how digital representations of the real world can be created within a GIS including the referencing of geographic features

To gain familiarity with the unique properties of geographic data including spatial autocorrelation and modifiable areal units

Appreciate that there are uncertainties in the creation of geographic representations

Develop skills in the basic use of GIS to create digital representations and underatnd their constraints within a framework of GIScience​

​Gain a sound understanding of the function, concepts  and features of a Geographic Information System

​Understand those constraints and considerations that are required when implementing a GIS to build geographic representations

​Develop practical skills in the application of a GIS to those data types often associated with a student''s disciplinary area

• To situate contemporary Human Geography within the wider context of research in the Social Sciences
• To introduce students to some of the major debates of society, environment, space and place and the relationships between them
• To introduce students to the different epistemological underpinnings in geographical research

Gain a thorough understanding of the epistemological underpinnings of different approaches to researching human geography.

    ·      Build upon the more general researchtraining delivered via companion modules on Data Collection and Data Analysis,both of which have an aspatial focus

·      Highlight a number of key socialissues that have a spatial dimension

·      Explain the specific challenges facedwhen attempting to analyse spatial data

·      Introduce a range of analyticaltechniques and approaches suitable for the analysis of spatial data

·      Enhancepractical skills inusing software packages to implement a wide range of spatial analytical tools.

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The module has two main aims. First, it seeks to provide hands-on experience and training in the design and generation of web-based mapping and geographical information tools. Second, it seeks to provide hands-on experience and training in the use of software to access, analyse and visualize web-based geographical information.

Experience using tile rendering tools to generate content for map-based web sites.

​Web-based data collection techniques

​Programming skills to enable basic online data manipulation and web mapping​​ ​​​

​​Knowledge of web based mapping infrastructure​

To give students the opportunity to design and deliver an academic research project around Geographic Data Science

A complete study, written to publishable standard.​

To provide a deep, systematic and critical understanding of the nature of information systems and particularly database systems, including web technology for databases.

At the end of the module students should have a critical understanding of the nature of relational databases.

At the end of the module students should be able to design and implement large-scale database systems.

At the end of the modulestudents should be able to develop the ability touse SQL as a data definition and data manipulation language, and to develop acritical understanding of querying a relational database withSQL.

At the end of the module students should be able to​ develop a systematic understanding of transaction management and concurrency control in database systems.

1. To provide students with a deep, critical and systematic understanding of the most significant technologies for developing web applications.
2. To enable students to use these technologies in the development of web applications. 
3. To provide knowledge of the characteristics of good web site design principles.

​be able to demonstrate an understanding of the range of technologies and programming languages available to organisations and businesses and be able to choose an appropriate architecture for a web application.

be able to make informed and critical decisions, design and implement reasonably sophisticated client-side web applications using HTML and JavaScript. ​

​be able to make informed and critical decisions, design and implement reasonably sophisticated server-side web applications using one or more suitable technologies. ​

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​Understanding of algorithmic approaches for handling batch and streaming analysis.

​Understanding of middleware that can be used to enable algorithms to scale up to analysis of large datasets.

Understanding of the impact of the middleware on how algorithms a​re articulated.

An understanding of the basic techniques of population and health analysis and projection. 

​​The ability to use spreadsheets for data analysis and presentation.

​Appreciation of the value of population and health analysis and projection for understanding society.​ 

​Understand the basic structures and the learning mechanisms underlying neural networks within the field of artificial intelligence and examine how synaptic adaptation can facilitate learning and how input to output mapping can be performed by neural networks.

Obtain an overview of linear, nonlinear, separable and non separable classification as well as supervised and unsupervised mapping.

Understand the benefit of adopting naturally inspired techniques to implement optimisation of complex systems and acquire the fundamental knowledge in various evolutionary techniques.

Become familiar with the basic concepts of systems optimisation and its role in natural and biological systems and entities.​

​Learning  the advantages and main characteristics of neural networks in relation to traditional methodologies. Also, familiarity with different neural networks structures and their learning mechanisms.

​Appreciation of the advantages of evolutionary-related approaches for optimisation problems and their advantages compared to traditional methodologies. Also, understanding the different techniques of evolutionary optimisation for discrete and continuous configurations

​Understanding of the needs for genetic encoding and modelling for solving optimisation problems and familiarisation with the evolutionary operators and their performance.

​Understanding of the neural network learning processes and their most popular types, as well as  appreciation of how neural networks can be applied to artificial intelligence problems.

·       Gain anunderstanding of several core areas of social and spatial inequalities and howthese inter-relate, and to engage with academic debates about these issues

·       Explore evidencefor, and interpretations of, social and spatial inequalities (eg labour market,ethnic, spatial aspects of poverty)

·       Gain anunderstanding of the geographies of social inequalities, including whyinequalities are not equal between places, and what the implications of thisunevenness are for individuals and communities

·       ​Consider howand why social inequalities have persisted and/or changed over time, withreference to allied theories and empirical evidence

·       Gain acritical understanding of the meaning and measurement of inequalities, povertyand deprivation

·       Identify andreview the types of data sources that can be used to explore social and spatialinequalities​

·       Explore thewider UK context for the development of social and spatial inequalities,including economic restructuring and welfare reform​

·       Considerrepresentations of inequalities in the media, policy and political debate

·       Consider anumber of policy developments/responses to problems of social and spatialinequalities, and to highlight their impact​

​Develop anunderstanding of social and spatial inequalities, how these inter-relate, andhow the terms have been (mis-)used in academic, political, policy and public discourses​

Develop anunderstanding of how and why social and spatial inequalities might havepersisted over time, and review the empirical evidence for this

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​Gain insightinto a range of government responses that have been developed to combat socialinequalities and related issues in the UK, at the regional and sub-regionallevel ​​