Although this blog is about amateur radio, other work does spill over into the hobby. For instance, I recently posted an interactive map under Resources that depicts licensed hams in the U.S. for 2013 along with ARRL-Affiliated Clubs as well as the ARRL Division boundaries. I thought it might be useful to look up nearby licensed hams as well as the general whereabouts of League-affiliated clubs. Since 1983, I’ve been involved in geographic information systems (GIS) and related work. In fact, since the 1990s, I’ve spent a lot of my time learning, researching, and implementing better applications of geospatial technology in the social sciences. And was involved in more than $60M of expenditures in the process as a college professor and administrator. Thinking spatially is becoming very critical in a number of industries and professional fields. But is it critical in amateur radio?
I think so…which is why I published the basic map described above. APRS users will immediately see why spatial visualization of “assets” in the field during any type of scenario is very useful. EmComm specialists know that government EmComm folk have already made the transition to GIS-based tracking of events. WSPR fans use GIS in understanding who’s heard where and what time and on what frequency. There’s a lot for the ham community to learn. Fortunately, it’s no longer expensive! More on that in future posts.
Here’s what I do in my day job. I’m an Editor-in-Chief and author with Springer Media in The Netherlands. They’re the largest scientific publisher in the world. Along with my collaborator, Dr. Jeremy Porter (CUNY & Columbia), I edit a peer-reviewed journal for Springer called Spatial Demography. (Think people on maps with statistical analysis of their behavior with a lot of other relevant stuff included.) Jeremy and I also serve as Editors for a book series by the same title at Springer. My writing has included the first of two volumes in a triliogy on spatial demography in which Jeremy and I integrate the traditional thinking in the social sciences about how space and human behavior are linked (Geographical Sociology) and one just published that reflects some of the latest thoughts and research (Recapturing Space). The third volume, just underway, is a volume on the nuts-and-bolts of how to do spatial analyses using GIS and spatial statistics. A real barn-burner….
If you suffer from insomnia, either book is available on Amazon just in time for Christmas! Read these books…and you’re likely to be cured as you’ll be asleep promptly! 😉
