Issues of geographic context variable calculation methods applied at different geographic levels in spatial historical demographic research : a case study over four parishes in Southern Sweden
Abstract: Spatial analysis is dependent on the geo-referencing quality of the spatial data, as well as on the definition of the geographic context variables used. However, these facts are rarely taken into consideration in historical demographic research where the geographic factor is considered. An important obstacle in this kind of research is the availability of historical data (spatial and non-spatial), sufficient timeframes, and financial resources to employ qualified scientists to perform the geo-coding and the linking of population to specific geographic levels according to the existent historical sources. Since these are essential issues, it is important to determine if and how much the choice of different geographic context variable definitions calculated over different geographic levels could affect the research outcome. This thesis project attempts to address this problem, by examining how much the results of geographic context variables differ when different definitions of the variables are used or when the variables are calculated over different geographic levels. For this purpose, geographic and demographic data from four rural parishes set in the 19th century southern Sweden is used to define geographic context variables that might affect mortality in historical demographic research (e.g. soil types, proximity to water, proximity to wetlands, proximity to gathering places, and population density). The results show that different definitions of distance might produce contradictory results, depending on the geography of the research location and the shape or size of the geographical units. Similarly, results tend to differ when different geographic levels are used. Though the suitability of what geographic level is chosen is highly dependent upon the research hypothesis, additional research is needed to determine when a geographic level is deemed suitable enough.
AT THIS PAGE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE WHOLE ESSAY. (follow the link to the next page)