Master

Inhalt

Geographic data and information – data that includes information on location in space – become ever more important in economic research as well as adjacent fields like management science, political science and climate science. For example, the growing use of mobile phones allows marketing companies to use information on the location of potential customers to optimize their online and offline marketing strategies. In economics, geospatial data is used to map poverty and malnutrition across regions as well as to highlight the heterogeneous effects of global warming across space. Geographical data is stored and manipulated in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) whereas statistical analysis is still best conducted in statistical software packages like STATA. The course Geospatial Data in Economics teaches students the ability to implement research projects that include a spatial dimension. To this end students will learn how organize and manipulate data within the software ArcGIS and use the resulting dataset to run empirical analysis in STATA. The course is structured into three parts: a) Short introduction to specific applications of geospatial data in economics/management science (based on research papers). b) Students will prepare their own topic-specific dataset in ArcGIS in the computer lab (under supervision). Students use the dataset to carry out an “exercise” research project (under supervision). c) Students will carry out a research project – for example by extending the exercise dataset – on their own and write a research report on data preparation and the empirical analysis. Grading will be based on the research report. Examination: research report (8 pages; seminar paper) Requirements: Basic knowledge probability theory/mathematical statistics as well as regression analysis. A short recap on linear regressions is provided in the course.