UPDATED 11/29/06

BIGGEST UPDATE

Final deliverables should include memo, spatial model, map, and maybe charts/tables depending upon your question and what I requested from you in my email back to you.

Also, hand in as much as you have by the deadline partial points may be awarded.

Final Project Guidelines for Introduction to GIS ERE450/550

Final Project Proposal Deadline 11/20 in class – Project due 12/15 at 12 pm in Bray 12-C

First, did you know the final project is optional? Check the website and course information for more details. You’ll need to do the final project to get a grade above a B-.

Second, each individual project must be different. No team-work for this project.

Third, your project must address an issue in Onondaga County unless you clear it with me well in advance.

You will have to go through a GIS project from beginning to end including the basic four steps below.

1. PURPOSE - You ask the question or state the problem. You are limited by the geographic region of Onondaga County unless you clear this with me very early on. Use the news, web, newspaper…your buddies…whatever to get a question to ask or problem to solve in Onondaga County. Don’t forget that this means determining the types of variables you’ll use. In putting together this part, you will also have to figure out what data you will need—and it’s type quantitative/qualitative (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio, cyclical, binary), what spatial reference is required, how you plan to analyze it, and what you will produce for outputs. Your final project proposals must include a preliminary spatial model.

2. DATA MANAGEMENT – Yes, you need to check if the data you need exists before even proposing your project. You should also think about how you’re going to create new data before you say that’s what you’ll do.

3. ANALYSIS – This could be almost anything. It depends upon your question. However, I will want to see at least a little complexity in your method.

4. OUTPUT – This is somewhat defined for you. I expect at least a memo, map, and spatial model; but maybe you’ll need to include tables and charts to make your point.

So what first and when?

Write me a memo (can have bullet points) with a spatial model attached that outlines your question/problem, how you plan to do the analysis, and what you expect for deliverables. You may do this as early as you wish, but the deadline for proposals is November 20^th in class before the exam. The proposal will be included with the grading of the final project, but completion by itself will not guarantee you a grade for the final project. Proposals must be approved before you can complete the final project. I don’t mind if you start it without approval, but I don’t want you to get too far in a potential wrong direction.