Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Public Policy Research : a Social Sciences Computing Hub workshop

This workshop will provide an overview of Geographic Information Systems with a specific focus on how GIS can usefully be used for public policy research, inter-disciplinary and collaborative research, as well as for funding applications. It will discuss what exactly a GIS is, what data is required to usefully conduct GIS analysis, what types of analyses a GIS can be used for, as well as the sorts of questions it can help answer. A range of illustrative examples of GIS-based research in the area of public policy will be outlined, including applications relating to higher education accessibility, regional economic development, access to health services, market access, health gradients, food environments, location of public services, etc. In all cases the focus is on how GIS can be used to better inform policy decisions. The seminar will conclude with an overview of the GIS resources available at NUI Galway, including software, hardware, data, courses, training and supports.

The workshop will be delivered by Dr. John Cullinan. John Cullinan is a Lecturer in Economics and joined the JE Cairnes School of Business & Economics in 2010. John completed his doctoral studies at NUI Galway in 2009, where his work focused on the valuation of environmental public goods using econometric, spatial microsimulation and GIS techniques. John holds a primary degree in Actuarial and Financial Studies and an MA in Economics from University College Dublin, as well as an MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from the London School of Economics. John was a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley in 2008. John also sits on NUI Galway’s GIS Centre Committee.

Workshop presentation