Skip to main content
Log in

Spatial statistical analysis and geographic information systems

  • Published:
The Annals of Regional Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss a number of general issues that pertain to the interface between GIS and spatial analysis. In particular, we focus on the various paradigms for spatial data analysis that follow from the existence of this interface. We outline a series of questions that need to be confronted in the analysis of spatial data, and the extent to which a GIS can facilitate their resolution. We also review a number of exploratory and confirmatory techniques that we feel should form the core of a spatial analysis module for a GIS.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abler RF (1987) The national science foundation national center for geographic information and analysis. Int J Geogr Inf Syst 1:303–326

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahuja N, Schachter BJ (1983) Pattern models. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Anselin L (1988) Spatial econometrics, methods and models. Kluwer, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Anselin L (1990) What is special about spatial data? Alternative perspectives on spatial data analysis. In: Griffith DA (ed) Spatial statistics, past, present and future. Institute of Mathematical Geography, Ann Arbor, MI, pp 63–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Anselin L (1991 a) Quantitative methods in regional science: perspectives on research directions. In: Boyce D, Nijkamp P, Schefer D (eds) Regional science, retrospect and prospect. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 403–424

    Google Scholar 

  • Anselin L (1991 b) SpaceStat: A program for the analysis of spatial data. Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Anselin L, Griffith DA (1988) Do spatial effects really matter in regression analysis? Papers Reg Sci Assoc 65:11–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Anselin L, Madden M (1990) Integrated and multiregional approaches in regional analysis. In: Anselin L, Madden M (eds) New directions in regional analysis. Belhaven Press, London, pp 1–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Arbia G (1989) Spatial data configuration in statistical analysis of regional economic and related problems. Kluwer, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailey TC (1990) GIS and simple systems for visual, interactive, spatial analysis. Cartogr J 27:79–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker RA, Chambers JM, Wilks AR (1988) The new S language, a programming environment for data analysis and graphics. Wadsworth, Pacific Grove, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry BJL, Marble DF (1968) Spatial analysis. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Bivand R (1990) Spatial statistics: front-end interference support for GIS. Proceedings Third Scandinavian Research Conference on Geographical Information Systems. Helsingor, Denmark, pp 244–254

  • Bivand R (1991) SYSTAT-compatible software for modelling spatial dependence among observations. Paper Presented at the 7th European Colloquium on Theoretical and Quantitative Geography, Stockholm, Sweden

  • Bonham-Carter GF, Agterberg FP, Wright DF (1988) Integration of geological datasets for gold exploration in Nova Scotia. Photogram Eng Remote Sensing 54:1585–1592

    Google Scholar 

  • Boots BN (1985) Voronoi (Thiessen) Polygons. Catmog No. 45. Geo Books, Norwich

    Google Scholar 

  • Boots BN, Getis A (1988) Point pattern analysis. Sage, Newbury Park

    Google Scholar 

  • Burrough PA (1990) Methods of spatial analysis in GIS. Int J Geogr Inf Syst 4:221–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleveland WS, McGill ME (1988) Dynamic graphics for statistics. Wadsworth, Pacific Grove, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Cliff AD, Ord JK (1981) Spatial processes: models and applications. Pion, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Couclelis H (1991) Requirements for planning-relevant GIS: a spatial perspective. Papers Reg Sci 70:9–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Cressie N (1985) Fitting variogram models by weighted least squares. J Int Assoc Math Geol 17:563–586

    Google Scholar 

  • Cressie N (1986) Kriging non-stationary data. J Am Stat Assoc 81:625–634

    Google Scholar 

  • Csillag F (1991) Merging GIS and spatial statistics. Workbook for IGU-GIS Conference on Multiple Representations and Multiple Uses, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechoslovakia, April 22–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis JC (1986) Statistics and data analysis in geology. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding Y, Fotheringham AS (1991) The integration of spatial analysis and GIS. National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, Buffalo, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Farley JA, Limp WF, Lockhart J (1990) The archaeologist's workbench: integrating GIS, remote sensing, EDA and database management. In: Allen KMS, Green FSW, Zubrow EBW (eds) Interpreting space: GIS and archaeology. Taylor and Francis, London, pp 141–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Flowerdew R, Green M, Kehris E (1991) Using areal interpolation methods in geographical information systems. Papers Reg Sci 70:303–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster SA, Gorr WL (1986) An adaptive filter for estimating spatially-varying parameters: Application to modeling police hours in response to calls for service. Manag Sci 32:878–889

    Google Scholar 

  • Gatrell A (1987) On putting some statistical analysis into geographic information systems: with special reference to problems of map comparison and map overlay. Northern Regional Research Laboratory, Research Report No 5

  • Getis A, Ord JK (1992) The analysis of spatial association by use of distance statistics. Geogr Anal 24 (in press)

  • Goodchild MF (1987) A spatial analytical perspective on geographical information systems. Int J Geogr Inf Syst 1:327–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodchild MF (1992) Geographical data modeling. Comput Geosci (in press)

  • Goodchild M, Brusegard D (1989) Spatial analysis using GIS: Seminar Workbook. National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, University of California, Santa Barbara

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodchild M, Gopal S 1989 Accuracy of spatial databases. Taylor and Francis, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodchild M, Haining R, Wise S (1992) Integrating GIS and spatial data analysis: problems and possibilities. Int J Geogr Inf Syst 6 (in press)

  • Gould P (1981) Letting the data speak for themselves. Ann Assoc Am Geogr 71:166–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffith DA (1988) Estimating spatial autoregressive model parameters with commercial statistical packages. Geogr Anal 20:176–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffith DA, Bennett RJ, Haining RP (1989) Statistical analysis of spatial data in the presence of missing observations: a methodological guide and an application to urban census data. Environ Plann A 21:1511–1523

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffith DA, Lewis R, Li B, Vasiliev I, Knight S, Yang X (1990) Developing Minitab software for spatial statistical analysis: a tool for education and research. Operat Geogr 8:28–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Haining R (1990a) The use of added variable plots in regression modelling with spatial data. Profess Geogr 42:336–344

    Google Scholar 

  • Haining R (1990 b) Spatial data analysis in the social and environmental sciences. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Haining R (1991) Bivariate correlation with spatial data. Geogr Anal 23:210–227

    Google Scholar 

  • Haslett J, Wills G, Unwin A (1990) SPIDER — an interactive statistical tool for the analysis of spatially distributed data. Int J Geogr Inf Syst 4:285–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Haslett J, Bradley R, Craig PS, Wills G, Unwin AR (1991) Dynamic graphics for exploring spatial data, with application to locating global and local anomalies. Am Stat (in press)

  • HMSO (1987) Handling geographic information (The Chorley Report). London

  • Hubert LJ, Golledge RG, Costanzo CM (1981) Generalized procedures for evaluating spatial autocorrelation. Geogr Anal 13:224–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Kehris E (1990 a) A geographical modelling environment built around ARC/INFO. North West Regional Research Laboratory, Research Report No. 13, Lancaster University

  • Kehris E (1990 b) Spatial autocorrelation statistics in ARC/INFO. North West Regional Research Laboratory, Research Report No. 16, Lancaster University

  • MacDougall EB (1991) A prototype interface for exploratory analysis of geographic data. Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts

  • Mosteller F, Tukey JW (1977) Data analysis and regression: a second course in statistics. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Nijkamp P (1988) The use of information systems for regional planning. R Econ Reg Urb 15(5):759–781

    Google Scholar 

  • Nijkamp P (1990) Geographical information systems in perspective. In: Scholten HJ, Stillwell JCH (eds) Geographical information systems for urban and regional planning. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 241–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Nijkamp P, Rietveld P (1983) Information systems for integrated regional planning. North Holland, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver MA, Webster R (1990) Kriging: a method of interpolation for geographical information systems. Int J Geogr Inf Syst 4:313–332

    Google Scholar 

  • Openshaw S (1990) Spatial analysis and geographical information systems: a review of progress and possibilities. In: Scholten HJ, Stillwell JCH (eds) Geographical information systems for urban and regional planning. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 153–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Openshaw S, Taylor P (1979) A million or so correlation coefficients: Three experiments on the modifiable areal unit problem. In: Wrigley N, Bennett RJ (eds) Statistical applications in spatial sciences. Pion, London, pp 127–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Openshaw S, Charlton M, Wymer C, Craft A (1987) A Mark I geographical analysis machine for the automated analysis of point data sets. Int J Geogr Inf Syst 1:335–358

    Google Scholar 

  • Openshaw S, Charlton M, Craft A (1988) Searching for leukaemia clusters using a geographical analysis machine. Papers Reg Sci Assoc 64:95–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Openshaw S, Cross A, Charlton M (1990) Building a prototype geographical correlates exploration machine. Int J Geogr Inf Syst 4:297–311

    Google Scholar 

  • Openshaw S, Brunsdon C, Charlton M (1991) A spatial analysis toolkit for GIS. EGIS 91, Proceedings Second European Conference on Geographical Information Systems, Brussels, Belgium, pp. 788–796

  • Peuquet DJ (1984) A conceptual framework and comparison of spatial data models. Cartographica 21:66–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Peuquet D (1988) Representations of geographic space: towards a conceptual synthesis. Ann Assoc Am Geogr 78:375–394

    Google Scholar 

  • Pielou EC (1977) Mathematical ecology. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Rayner JN (1971) An introduction to spectral analysis. Pion, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Ripley B (1981) Spatial statistics. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Stringer P, Haslett J (1991) The spatial distribution of ill-health and material deprivation: an exploratory analysis using interactive graphics, Northern Ireland Regional Research Laboratory, Dublin

    Google Scholar 

  • Tobler W (1979 a) Cellular geography. In: Gale S, Olsson G (eds) Philosophy in geography. Reidel, Dordrecht, pp 379–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Tobler W (1979b) Smooth pycnophylactic interpolation for geographic regions. J Am Stat Assoc 74:519–536

    Google Scholar 

  • Tobler W (1989) Frame independent spatial analysis. In: Goodchild MG, Gopal S (eds) The accuracy of spatial databases. Taylor and Francis, London, pp 115–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Tukey JW (1977) Exploratory data analysis. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker PA, Moore DM (1988) SIMPLE: an inductive modelling and mapping tool for spatially-oriented data. Int J Geogr Inf Syst 2:347–354

    Google Scholar 

  • Warren RE (1990) Predictive modelling of archaeological site location: a case study in the Midwest. In: Allen KMS, Green SW, Zubrow EBW (eds) Interpreting space: GIS and archaeology. Taylor and Francis, London, pp 201–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams I, Limp WF, Briuer FL (1990) Using geographic information systems and exploratory data analysis for archeological site classification and analysis. In: Allen KMS, Green SW, Zubrow EBW (eds) Interpreting space: GIS and archaeology. Taylor and Francis, London, pp 239–273

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Anselin, L., Getis, A. Spatial statistical analysis and geographic information systems. Ann Reg Sci 26, 19–33 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01581478

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01581478

Keywords

Navigation