Techniques in Human Geography

The needs of human geography have produced a quite distinct menu of techniques. This text offers a non-technical introduction to the range of techniques which are useful to human geographers, stressing the importance of using the particular techniques that are appropriate to the context. Jim Lindsay offers a guide to purposeful use of techniques work in detail - survey and qualitative, numerical, spatial and computer-based - drawing on important case studies, such as the decennial census, to illustrate applications. The importance of up-to-date IT based techniques is particularly stressed, introducing widely recognised applications. A final section explores the Internet, which offers exciting new resources but also creates problems for researchers used to traditional academic fields. Identifying important new developments, particularly within computer mapping, GIS and Online searching, the author anticipates the ways in which techniques available to human geographers will change in the near future.