Syllabus
Session 1:
Introduction - GIS in historical research, online datasets
During the intro session, students get an insight into the possibilities of using diverse GIS methods in historical research. Introduction of fundamental principles, open-source and non - open-source programs. Introduction of a sample of the use of GIS method in historical research. Introduction to diverse online datasets that can be used along with the development of the projects. Explanation of the differences in vector and raster data
Discussion of possible term projects.
HW: Framing a possible term-project, downloading datasets for further use in the term project
Session 2:
Google Earth; ESRI, QGIS, introduction
Introduction to ESRI and its products, with special attention to its offered (free) courses, explanation of the differences of ArcGIS and QGIS. Introduction to Google Earth - start of the developing of the project datasets in Google Earth. Introduction to kml/kmz and shapefiles.
Introduction to the possibilities that QGIS offers for historical research. This program will be used during this course. In the intro session students will get an insight to its basic principles through a sample project.
HW: completing the database to be used in kml/kmz, geopackage format
Session 3:
QGIS, introduction 2, basic practice
Introduction to the possibilities that QGIS offers for historical research. This program will be used during this course. In the intro session students will get an insight to its basic principles through a sample project. Practice on the term projects of the basics of QGIS - choosing basemaps, integrating kml/kmz, csv databases, integrating geopackage files, attribute table
Session 4:
QGIS, advanced practice
Practice on the term projects of the some more advanced parts of QGIS - change the appearance of data, creation of maps, formatting legend, georeferencing, basic vector analysis, etc.
Session 5:
QGIS, developing the project 1
Based on the previous lectures, students are expected to start and progress with their term projects, for which they receive help from the instructor if needed.
Session 6:
Presentations of term projects 1
Students presents their term projects, with some background information of how it is connected to their own research.
Session 7:
Presentations of term projects 2
Students presents their term projects, with some background information of how it is connected to their own research.
Annotation
The aim of this course is to acquaint students with the third dimension: space, where the events and processes happened in historical research, and implement in in their approach towards any historical question. Student will develop an insight of how to connect space to various historical processes and events, and how to discover their relations by being introduced to the basic principles and practices of Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Although historical geography is a traditional part of the discipline of history, the use of GIS are not restricted to this subject. Due to the versatile application of GIS in historical research its use has been growing. GIS makes it possible, to add a spatial reference to any kind of (historical) problem, and with that, it opens new possibilities for research, both in terms of opening new questions, and providing more data to be analysed in more ways. The intention of this course is to involve students in the use of these applications, and with that, broader the potential in their own research. At the first stage the course focuses on developing practical skills on the visualization of data and diverse historical processes.
During that, the students will be introduced to open source programs, and free datasets that can be of their assistance. The course will be built up of both theoretical and practical classes. Students will be expected to develop their own term project in the form of diverse GIS maps, which will be presented at the end of the term.
The course will be taught in 180 min. blocks.