CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH Geography 400-01/500-01 and 400-02/500-02: Multivariate Geographical Analysis Fall 2023 ticket numbers: 5240 (400-01) and 5241 (500-01): T 5:00-7:45 p.m., LA1-303 5243 (400-02) and 5242 (500-02): T 8:00-9:50 p.m., LA1-303

Instructor Information:

Instructor: Dr. C.M. Rodrigue

E-mail Address: rodrigue@csulb.edu (please start the subject line with "400" or "500" so that I can find you in all the spam!)

Home Page: https://home.csulb.edu/~rodrigue/

Telephones: (526) 985-4895 or -8432 (e-mail is better)

Office: LA1-139

Mailbox: LA1-125

Office Hours: TTh 2-3:15 and by appointment or online

COVID-19 and Mode of Instruction:

COVID-19 continues to sicken and sometimes kill people and cases are increasing in the weeks leading up to the Fall 2023 semester. So, it may continue affecting the operation of CSULB courses. Our class is approved for face-to-face operation, which works well for the lecture and lab nature of the course. Doing this remotely was not optimal, and a number of students in the F/20 semester, even if they passed, opted to take it again because they felt they hadn't quite gotten the material. People in the F/21 and F/22 semesters who had to take a few sessions via the Owl also found it not a happy experience. If the increase in cases turns into a surge, I may have to mix face-to-face classes with one or more online options (e.g., the "Owl" or my own Zoom computer). No matter the mix, however, I want the lab projects turned in on paper with backup data placed on Canvas' dropbox or in e-mail. Supporting data can include spreadsheets and SPSS output (if your paper answers are unclear, I can look at your spreadsheets and other materials and see if I can track where an error started so you can get partial credit).

Given the improv nature of these adjustments, which may be in "real-time" as the semester and the virus evolve, I'll be very receptive to student ideas to improve the class so that everyone can get the most out of it, no matter what the virus is up to.

The University requirements on COVID-19 are detailed below in the policies section.

Course Description:

Prerequisite: GEOG 200 or any introductory statistics course or consent of instructor.
Examination of advanced quantitative techniques employed by geographers in analysis of spatial phenomena. Topics covered include multivariate statistical methods as models for geographical analysis. Emphasis on the application of these techniques in geographical research, using spreadsheet and statistical software.
(3 hours seminar and 2 hours laboratory)

Course Objectives:

• Understanding of the scientific method in geography and closely related disciplines
• Competence in research design
• Skill in advanced statistical and spatial analytic methods for handling bivariate and multivariate data
• Ability to interpret the results of these methods correctly
• Proficiency in the use of statistical software, spreadsheets, and Internet functions

Required Course Materials:

• Text: Grimm and Yarnold, Reading and Understanding Multivariate Statistics.

Recommended Course Reference Materials:

• Whichever textbook you used in GEOG 200 or BIOL 260 or other statistics course, which, of course, you wouldn't even THINK of selling back to the bookstore <G>. But, if you did, other options are available below!
• David M. Lane's online basic statistics text: Lane, HyperStat Online
• John H. MacDonald's Handbook of Biological Statistics
• Øyvind Hammer's Reference Manual for PAST PAleontological STatistics, Version 4.
• And, if your math has gone the way of the dinosaur, an online encyclopædia: Weisstein, World of Mathematics

Open Source and Free Statistical Software Resources:

• PAST, a full-featured multivariate stats package developed by O. Hammer, D.A. T. Harper, and P.D. Ryan https://www.nhm.uio.no/english/research/resources/past/index.html. The PAST manual available there is a succinct guide to the techniques in the program.
• JASP, an open-source project at the University of Amsterdam that is interactively graphics-driven and includes, not just a lot of regular multivariate "frequentist" statistics, but several self-editing Bayesian probability-based tests https://jasp- stats.org
• R, a massive open-source statistics community and family of compatible packages https://www.r-project.org/
• VassarStats, a statistical computation web site http://vassarstats.net/
• CrimeStat, a spatial statistics program developed by Ned Levine with a National Institute of Justice grant for use in analyzing crime patterns in space but much more widely applicable https://nij.gov/topics/technology/maps/pages/crimestat.aspx
• PSPP, a new and still developing open-source SPSS work-alike, which can handle really huge databases (as in billions of records and variables!) https://www.gnu.org/software/pspp/
• G*Power, a program for pre-study analysis of how big a sample you'll need for given significance and power requirements or for figuring out the power of a study given the sample size and significance level https://gpower.hhu.de/
• OpenOffice, which includes a spreadsheet, word processor, viewgraphs program, database managment system, math handler, and graphics package. https://www.openoffice.org/
• LibreOffice, which has forked off OpenOffice because of concerns about the new owner of Sun Microsystems, which supported the open-source development of OpenOffice (the then-new owner, Oracle, donated the OpenOffice project to Apache Software Foundation, an open-source developer https://www.libreoffice.org/
• NeoOffice is another fork of OpenOffice, this one for Mac users: https://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php
• Quantum GIS or QGIS is an open-source GIS package: https://qgis.org/

Grading:

I grade on a modified curve, based on several lab projects, each of them weighted the same (100 points each) and a final project of your own design, weighted twice as much. The lab projects are available from the course home page (https://home.csulb.edu/~rodrigue/geog400500/. The projects start out with a lot of coaching and a few opportunities to do "lab redemptions." As the semester goes on, you will be given more autonomy and responsibility for research design and execution, culminating in a final project, in which you find a large database related to your own interests, formulate a hypothesis or a question for your data, design an appropriate methodology, and then interpret your results.

The first few projects are accompanied by an answer sheet in OpenOffice (the "sheet" link) and printable PDF formats, both forms also available on the course home page. I prefer that you print the PDF forms and fill them out with your answers and include requested supporting materials: This is because I write grading feedback directly on the labs so that you can make corrections directly on them for the "lab redemptions" available on the early projects. Using the PDF, too, preserves the pagination, which is really helpful grading a tall stack of labs. I grade the paper forms, but I highly advise that you turn in your spreadsheets and SPSS output on Canvas or e-mail. If your answer form is messed up, having the supporting information on Canvas or e-mail lets me rummage through them to identify where a mistake started and then corrupted your later work. This can result in your getting partial credit for doing things right from a bad starting point, so please take advantage of the offer!

Graduate/post-baccalaureate students should enroll in GEOG 500. Their final projects will include a more detailed context and literature review and should be more ambitious in research design than undergraduate papers, similar to a presentable conference paper or publication. They will make a short presentation on their projects on December 8th. They have to do this whether they're in 400 or 500, so they should make sure they can get graduate credit for the class.

A Note on Attendance and Time Management:

It is crucial that you engage with the class each week, in person: I catch a lot of the common mistakes simply by cruising the lab and pointing you on a better path when I see something amiss. I can't do that on Zoom and you have to know that you are in trouble and ask for help. Because that *&@#$%?! virus is STILL circulating, you may need to attend a week or two on Zoom (or I might). If you get sick or are responsible for caring for someone else who's sick, let me know ahead of time, so I can have time to set up the owl or remember to bring my "Zoom computer" to class. I will sporadically take roll in class and record who's on Zoom and use this to break ties in final grades.

Whether you're here or somewhere on Zoom, you'll be working your way through lab projects (which embed a lot of lecture material), asking me for assistance in person or via e-mail or Zoom sessions, doing readings in the textbook to support your work on the lab projects, and generally managing your time carefully in this still challenging and annoying campus situation. You should also remember to spend time every week or two, surfing around for data you can use in your final project (or getting data you already have set up for statistical processing). This can really sneak up on you!

Tentative Course Outline:

Introduction

Advanced statistics and geography and related disciplines
Software

Bivariate Methods

(Re)Introduction to correlation and regression
Simple linear correlation and regression
Algebraic invariants and transformations

Multiple Regression and Partial Correlation

Creating models predicting one dependent variable
Picking which variables and how many to put into a model
Interpreting results

Principal Components and Factor Analysis

The idea of creating "artificial" factors
Pruning a blizzard of variables down (PCA and EFA)
Rotating eigenvectors to create the cleanest model
Testing models (CFA)

Detrended Correspondence Analysis

Like PCA/FA, creates "artificial" factors
Data reduction method like PCA/FA
Works with data that don't conform to PCA/FA expectations
Especially good for ordination, zonation, or seriation

K-Means Clustering

Works in the p-dimensional space that PCA/FA does
Specify a number of desired clusters
Iterative assignment of cases to the "nearest" cluster

Other Approaches If We Have Time

Meta-analysis?

Logistic regression?

Classification and regression trees?

Bayesian approaches?

Student project

Students select multivariate datasets of interest to them (n >100, >5 variables, not counting the identifier)
Students choose appropriate methods to process their data
Students interpret their own results
Graduate students situate their project in an appropriate literature and conduct a more ambitious research design.

Policy Section

COVID-19 Health and Safety Requirements

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CSULB has implemented health and safety protocols (see COVID-19 website) that follow the guidance of local, state, and national public health authorities. As a member of our campus community, you are expected to follow all campus policies, including COVID-19 related requirements. These apply to anyone who is physically present on University grounds or participating in any CSULB-related activity.

Accessibility:

Disability:

It is the student's responsibility to let me know at the beginning of the semester if s/he has a disability that may require accommodation. I am personally committed to making my classes accessible and providing accommodations that will help everyone have the same chance at success. I need to know about the issue at the beginning of the semester, though, so that we can work out a mutually reasonable and satisfying accommodation. For more information on campus support services for disabled students, please check out https://www.csulb.edu/student-affairs/bob-murphy-access-center.

Documentation status:

As an educator, I strive to make courses accessible to all students regardless of immigration status. If your status presents obstacles to engaging in specific activities or fulfilling specific criteria, you may request confidential accommodations. You may also consult with the Office of Equity and Diversity (https://csulb.edu/equity-compliance) or the Dream Success Center (https://csulb.edu/dream) for examples of possible accommodations. Such arrangements will not jeopardize your student status, your financial aid, or any other part of your residence. Please advise me if and when you feel comfortable during the semester so that I may make appropriate alterations as needed.

Prejudice:

Violent incidents over the last few years have underscored the pervasiveness of prejudicial views of Black, Asian, Latinx, Native American, Jewish, Muslim, LGBTQ+ people, and others -- and how these views create structural obstacles and inequities that can cost people's lives, safety, health, income, wealth, and ability to pursue interests and education. In my classes, I strive to create an environment that supports meaningful interactions among all my students in the common pursuit of research, inquiry, and learning, and I try to be aware of the damage that these personal and structural forces do to many students and ease their impacts as they affect your enjoyment of and progress in this class. Please feel welcome to let me know of any such impacts or, if you would be more comfortable, you can approach one of the following student assistance resource centers:

• CSULB Office of Multicultural Affairs resource centers
• CSULB Beach Hillel

Veterans:

Veterans come back from their service possibly quite altered or hurt by the experience and may find it a challenging mission to fit (back) into campus life, where so few of the rest of us have any understanding of their experiences or context to put them in. If you are a veteran, that isolation can pose an accessibility problem that may affect your progress in this class and other classes. If you think this may be the case, please let me know about your situation as soon as possible, so that we can find accommodations or resources that can help you benefit from this class. You might also want to contact the CSULB Veterans Services office.

Title IX:

Title IX prohibits gender discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. If you have experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, dating/domestic violence, or stalking, the Campus Confidential Advocate is available to help. Jaqueline Urtez (e-mail: advocate@csulb.edu, phone: (562) 985-2668) can provide free and confidential support, accommodations, and referrals for victims without having to report the assault to campus authorities. While students are welcome to discuss assaults with faculty or disclose such experiences in class discussions or assignments, both faculty and teaching assistants are classified as responsible employees who are required to report all known incidents of sexual harassment/misconduct to the Office of Equity & Compliance/Title IX Office for follow-up. Reporting this information will result in the student being contacted by the Office of Equity & Compliance/Title IX Office with information on accommodations and reporting options for possible investigation. Students do not need to respond to the Office of Equity & Compliance/Title IX Office, but students who do wish to report the assault for possible investigation are encouraged to contact the Campus Confidential Advocate, who can help them through the reporting process, or they can report the assault directly to the Office of Equity & Compliance/Title IX Office by completing an online reporting form at https://www.csulb.edu/equity-compliance/title-ix-at-the-beach or contacting the Office of Equity & Diversity at OEC@csulb.edu.

Withdrawal Policy:

It is the student's responsibility to withdraw from classes. Instructors have no obligation to withdraw students who do not attend classes and, because of the bureaucratic difficulty involved, generally do not do so. This often catches transfer students by surprise, because community colleges require instructors to take daily roll and drop non-attending students after a certain number of no-shows and provide easy and routine mechanisms for them to do so. If you've been "spoiled" by that system, please be aware that it doesn't work that way here.

Here are the various deadlines: http://www.csulb.edu/enrollment-services/key-dates-and-deadlines

Cheating and Plagiarism Policy:

Written work that you hand in is assumed to be original unless your source material is documented appropriately. Using the ideas or words of another person, even a peer, or a web site, as if it were your own, is plagiarism. Simply changing the wording around so that it's not a direct quotation is still plagiarism if you don't give credit to the source of the ideas. If you use the exact wording of your source, enclose the statement in quotation marks or (with longer quotations) indent and single space it and then cite the source and page. When in doubt, cite. Cheating and plagiarism are serious academic offenses: They represent intellectual theft. Students should read the section on cheating and plagiarism in the CSULB catalogue, which can be accessed at http://catalog.csulb.edu/content.php?catoid=2&navoid=30.

Furthermore, students should be aware that faculty members have a range of academic actions available to them in cases of cheating and plagiarism. At a minimum, I will fail a student cheating or plagiarizing on a particular assignment, but only if I think that there was some misunderstanding about what these offenses are; if I feel that the decision to cheat or plagiarize was intentional, I will fail a student in the course. I also may then refer the student to Judicial Affairs for possible probation, suspension, or dismissal.

When in doubt, cite: It keeps you out of trouble and makes your work look polished and professional. Please ask me if you think you're getting into a grey area: I would be happy to consult with you about particular problems that come up. To learn a little more about plagiarism, take a look at this workshop on ethics in science that several faculty put together: The second section is about plagiarism. https://home.csulb.edu/~rodrigue/geography/gdep/ethics.html.

What about ChatGPT, Bard, LLaMa, Ryter, and Other AI?

AI is transforming the generation of writing and graphics and it has hit so suddenly that business, education, scientists, writers, and artists are floundering to figure out its impacts and ethical use. It will destroy some of your planned career paths; it will open up new careers for you, too. It is, therefore, important for you to become familiar with these AI models and, so, you may use them in certain ways in this class. For example, grad students might find it useful to start their research essay ("What refereed journal articles or other academic resources could I use to research the challenges of using principal component analysis in hydrology" or whatever your topic is); all students could make use of it to ask questions about lecture, lab, or research material you don't quite understand ("what's the difference between multivariable and multivariate?"); all students could use AI to proofread your writing for spelling, grammar, and syntax, and I would be one happy professor reading more literate student efforts <G> and, above all, cite any AI you used for any of these purposes just as though it were an academic source, which it is. Whatever you do, don't use AI to write your essays or labs as that would amount to plagiarism and is, nowadays, detectable in TurnItIn and several new AI AI-detection programs! Also, whatever you do, don't trust AI to be telling you the truth! It's known to lie and make stuff up ("hallucinate"), especially in mathematical areas. You need to check its work, using regular search engines or even another AI, so you don't come off looking like a doofus! In trying to formulate my policies on this topic, I found the following sources really helpful, and you might, too:

• https://www.open.edu.au/advice/insights/ethical-way-to-use-chatgpt-as-a-student
• https://www.bu.edu/articles/2023/why-chatgpt-is-both-exciting-and-unsettling-for-students-and-faculty/

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This document is maintained by Dr. Rodrigue
First placed on the web: 01/29/01
Last updated: 08/17/23