Geo-Refer 2: meeting community-specific research needs in geographical referencing

Lead Research Organisation: University of Southampton
Department Name: School of Geography

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Publications

10 25 50
publication icon
Fielding, Nigel G.; Lee, Raymond.M.; Blank, Grant (2008) The Sage Handbook of Online Research Methods

 
Description This project was an extension to an earlier award which generated a series of online learning materials for researchers who are not trained geographers and find themselves needing to use geographically referenced data, for example for mapping or data linkage purposes. It provided additional materials particularly focused on researchers with interests in census analysis, local government and health care.
Exploitation Route These materials have been designed for users from any sector who need to handle geographically referenced social science data. This project particularly focused on the needs of practitioners and researchers working with census data, in local government and healthcare contexts. All the online materials generated by this and the predecessor project are freely available through the ESRC's ReStore repository. Individual pages can be used as a reference source or a user can provide profile information and receive a customised tutorial.
URL http://www.restore.ac.uk/geo-refer/
 
Description The online workshops and training materials created for this award were aimed at the social science research user community, with a particular focus on users in health, local government and the broader census user community. This award built on the work of PTA-035-25-0029 which had already begun to address the training needs of these groups. Detailed advice on specific projects was given to attendees at the training events and advice by correspondence with users of the online training materials, which continued to received over 50,000 pageviews from February 2011 and March 2014. All the online materials generated by the project are now freely available through the ESRC National Centre for Research Methods ReStore repository. The material has also been used extensively by others in the academic community to support training activities which are open to researchers from any sector.
First Year Of Impact 2008
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice
 
Description Geographical referencing (georeferencing) issues 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact Workshop session on geographical referencing issues presented in "changing geography masterclass" workshop

Guidance provided to individual participants - referrals and increased use of ESRC Geo-Refer and Census Programme online resources
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2010
 
Description Geographical referencing : a practical workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Scientific meeting (conference/symposium etc.)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Type Of Presentation paper presentation
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Joint workshop between Geo-Refer 2 project and SASPAC Consortium - aimed particularly at local authority and academic census researchers

Detailed advice provided to researchers regarding their own research projects - promoted use of Geo-Refer online resources and SASPAC software
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
URL http://www.restore.ac.uk/geo-refer/files/London%20GeoRefer-SASPAC%20Dec08FINAL.pdf
 
Description Geographical referencing and census data workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact Geo-Refer contributions to workshop convened by ESRC Census Portal

Follow-up guidance to workshop participants, referrals to ESRC Census Programme specialist staff and increased use of ESRC Census Programem online resources
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2008
URL https://www.census.ac.uk/MB/Bristol_May08.aspx
 
Description Geographical referencing concepts and techniques 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact Contribution to workshop convened by ESRC Census Portal

Methodological guidance to participants - increased use of ESRC Geo-Refer and Census Programme online resources and data
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2009
 
Description Linking and mapping geographically referenced data 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Health professionals
Results and Impact Workshop contribution to ESRC National Centre for Research Methods Autumn School

Discussions among participants - some follow-up enquiries about how to use methods and data introduced at workshop.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2009