An Introduction to Scientific Research Methods in Geography
Summary
The feel-good place to buy books
An Introduction to Scientific Research Methods in Geography by Daniel R Montello
Provides a broad and integrative introduction to the conduct and interpretation of scientific research in human geography. This book covers both conceptual and technical aspects, as well as ethical conduct in research. It explains the key elements of scientific philosophy and basic research concepts.
For a comprehensive college-level study of geographic research methods, choose An Introduction to Scientific Research Methods in Geography, which covers the entire research process and describes basic concepts, from generating ideas to using library resources and using ethical judgement in conducting, compiling and presenting researchPlenty of illustration of different geographic research techniques include boxed summaries and spatial examples, which self-tests, assessments, and exercises make for a perfect beginner′s coursebook. -- CALIFORNIA BOOKWATCH * CALIFORNIA BOOKWATCH *
"I would recommend this book for use as a reference or a text in any undergraduate-or graduate-level course that covers geographic research methods. The final, and perhaps key, strength of this book is that it is written for the entire research community." -- Arthur N. Samuel
"Dan Montello and Paul Sutton’s well-written book on how to pursue geographic inquiry using the scientific method and related research techniques should become required reading for many present and future geographers. Even researchers who do not traditionally employ the scientific method, or do not necessarily adhere to all of its principles, will find this book a useful addition to their collection. It covers not only topics germane to the breadth of human geography but offers material that all geographers, human and physical alike, will find relevant. My expectation is that while this book will primarily be used for undergraduate courses in research and quantitative methods, graduate students in geography will also find it a useful resource." -- Scott Bell
"I would recommend this book for use as a reference or a text in any undergraduate-or graduate-level course that covers geographic research methods. The final, and perhaps key, strength of this book is that it is written for the entire research community." -- Arthur N. Samuel
"Dan Montello and Paul Sutton’s well-written book on how to pursue geographic inquiry using the scientific method and related research techniques should become required reading for many present and future geographers. Even researchers who do not traditionally employ the scientific method, or do not necessarily adhere to all of its principles, will find this book a useful addition to their collection. It covers not only topics germane to the breadth of human geography but offers material that all geographers, human and physical alike, will find relevant. My expectation is that while this book will primarily be used for undergraduate courses in research and quantitative methods, graduate students in geography will also find it a useful resource." -- Scott Bell
Daniel Montello is Professor of Geography at the University of California, CA. I grew up in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California (Laurel Canyon) during the 1960′s. The movie ′Soylent Green′ and the chest pain I experienced with deep breaths during smog alerts had a significant impact on me and my nascent perception of the Human-Environment-Sustainability problematic. I later moved to Santa Barbara during my High School years and was deeply influenced by the works of Rachel Carson, Paul Ehrlich, and Garrett Hardin. Needless to say my early childhood experiences primed me to be significantly influenced by apocalyptic movies and neo-malthusian jeremiads. I spent my undergraduate daze at Union College in Schenectady New York. I began as a naive pre-med but I ended up with a Chemistry degree and a desire to work in the area of environmental cleanup. I soon learned that EPA Superfund sites spend more of the clean up funds on lawyers in three piece suits than on chemists in Hazmat suits. This only seeded my latent cynicism as I volunteered for Zero Population Growth while I taught High School Chemistry, Physics, and Math at the Anacapa School in Santa Barbara. I later did some time as a process engineer at the Santa Barbara Research Center where I participated in the design, fabrication, and testing of infrared sensors for scientific and military equipment including satellite sensors. I discovered Geography through friends that were graduate students in Geography at UCSB in the early 1990s. I milked my time as a graduate student in the Geography Department at UCSB for as long as I could obtaining an M.A. in Geography in 1995, an M.A. in Statistics in 1997, and a PhD in Geography in 1999. My dissertation was titled: "Census from Heaven: Estimation of human population parameters using nighttime satellite imagery and GIS". I am deeply indebted to many faculty at UCSB for their guidance and their service to the discipline. I took a position in the Geography Department at the University of Denver in the Fall of 1999 and have been here since then. I have many interests spanning much of geography but ranging into ecology, economics, and philosophy. Most of my research focuses on applied issues associated with the Human-Environment-Sustainability problematic. I do a great deal of work with nighttime satellite imagery derived from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System (DMSP OLS). Data products derived from DMSP OLS imagery are being used to map and estimate human population distribution, energy consumption, economic activity, urban extent, CO2 emissions, Ecological Footprints, and more. The tools needed to engage in this research are remote sensing , geographic information analysis, and statistics. I also am interested in the development of the discipline of ecological economics. I use my expertise in GIS and spatial data analysis in collaborations with economists and ecologists to make spatially explicit valuations of ecosystem services. Nonetheless my interests are quite broad and I have had students write theses and dissertations in areas ranging from crime mapping to explaining ‘high-stakes’ testing scores in the public schools to mapping invasive species. My fascination with apocalyptic movies has not faded though and I teach a first year seminar titled: Utopia, Dystopia, and the End of the World. I do my small part to insure that ′Soylent Green′ remains in the lexicon of the culturally literate. I also teach geographic statistics, population geography, and ecological economics. I try to serve the discipline of Geography primarily by teaching and mentoring students in a way that prepares them to be informed and active citizens, provides them with unique and relevant skills that helps them pursue meaningful careers, and provokes and stimulates their curiosity and intellect in ways that insures that they appreciate that a geographic perspective is essential to a rich intellectual life.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781412902878 |
| ISBN 10 | 1412902878 |
| Title | An Introduction to Scientific Research Methods in Geography |
| Author | Daniel R Montello |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc |
| Year published | 2006-04-04 |
| Number of pages | 320 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |