Odum Institute: Introduction to Geospatial Data for Data Scientists

This course is being offered in collaboration between the Odum Institute and the Center for Urban & Regional Studies.

This one-day course will be offered via Zoom only. Attendance is required as it will not be recorded.

Course Summary:
This course offers a broad introduction into the use of geospatial data in data science applications.  The course will be highly focused on what makes geospatial data different from other types of data and what these differences imply for using and applying geospatial data.  The course materials will be built for non-geospatial professionals who find themselves needing to use geospatial data effectively. 

Why Take This Course?
The availability and uses of geospatial data have been growing for decades.  Recently, with the advent of robust web-mapping and dynamic client-side web tools many data analysts, applications programmers, web developers, and data scientists of all types have been confronted with geospatial data without having a background in geography or Geographic Information Systems (GIS).  This course will ground students in fundamental concepts of geospatial data science, geospatial computing, and geospatial applications so they can be more efficient and accurate in using geospatial data in their daily jobs.

Participants will learn about:
- Basics of map projections and the use of projected and un-projected geospatial data
- How issues of scale, precision, and accuracy affect applications of geospatial data 
- Geospatial data models and the main ways geospatial data is presented in computer form 
- Key open-source and commercial off-the-shelf applications that handle geospatial data 

Prerequisites: 
Basic computer skills.  An understanding of tools such as spreadsheets, relational database management systems (RDMS), and programming will be beneficial, but not required. 

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