In this Guide we address the full spectrum of spatial analysis and associated modelling techniques that are provided within currently available and widely used geographic information systems (GIS) and associated software. Collectively such techniques and tools are often now described as geospatial analysis, although we use the more common form, spatial analysis, in most of our discussions.
The interactive web version of this Guide may be accessed via the associated Internet site: www.spatialanalysisonline.com. The contents and sample sections of the PDF version may also be accessed from this site. In both cases the information is regularly updated. The Internet is now well established as society’s principal mode of information exchange, and most aspiring GIS users are accustomed to searching for material that can easily be customised to specific needs. Our objective for such users is to provide an independent, reliable and authoritative first port of call for conceptual, technical, software and applications material that addresses the panoply of new user requirements.
Readers wishing to obtain a more in-depth understanding of the background to many of the topics covered in this Guide should review the Suggested Reading topic (Section 1.2.2). Those seeking examples of software tools that might be used for geospatial analysis should refer to Section 1.1.2.
Applications are the driving force behind GIS, and many are illustrated in Longley, Goodchild, Maguire and Rhind (2005, Chapter 2, “A gallery of applications”). In a similar vein the web site provides companion material for this Guide focusing on applications. Amongst these are the London GIS Casebook — a series of sector‑specific case studies drawing on recent work in and around London; and the London Profiler, an interactive neighbourhood profiling tool. These sites include details of a range of applications from the fields of: Health and Welfare; Emergency and Security Management; Environmental Engineering and Planning; Education; Enterprise Development; and Retailing, amongst others.
