LFU:online

Upon the successful completion of this course students understand the basics of creating, managing and analysing spatial data used in Databases and in Geoinformation systems. They acquire the ability to use selected methods in relational spatially enabled databases (SQL) and Geoinformation systems and are capable of creating or accessing geodata to use them for tasks within their field of study.

Geographic data is present in many daily used applications like navigation/routing apps and location based services but also in scientific questions where the location of some phenomenon is of relevance like the spread of COVID-19 in a country. Digital maps can convey complex information in a short time. In combination with temporal information animated maps add another dimension.

Presentation of lecture slides by lecturer to provide a summary of learning material; using exercises in the class for hands-on exercises working with databases and geodata. Working on mini projects and presentation of results by participants.

Participants are graded through marks of oral exams for the lecture part and in-class presentation of classroom exercises and mini projects. Details will be announced in the first session.

• Bill, R. (2016). Grundlagen der Geoinformationssysteme. Wichmann. (https://www.vde-verlag.de/buecher/537607/grundlagen-der-geo-informationssysteme.html)

• N. Bartelme (2005): Geoinformatik, Springer. (http://www.springer.com/de/book/9783540202547)

• J, Campbell, M. Shin (2011) Essentials of Geographic Information Systems, ISBN 13: 9781453321966.

• D. Bodenhamer, J. Corrigan, T. Harris (2010) The Spatial Humanities.

• D. Allemang, J. Hendler (2011) Semantic Web for the Working Ontologist, 2nd edn. Morgan Kaufmann.

The following tools will be used:

• GIS: QGIS (https://www.qgis.org/de/site/)

• Database: Postgres/Postgis (https://www.postgresql.org/)

It is recommended but not required to use your own laptops/computers for hands-on exercises. No prior skills in programming languages are required, as the practical exercises are SQL-based. Therefore, basic knowledge of relational databases and SQL is desirable, e.g. from the 198822 VU Introduction to Data Management.

Students advanced in completion of the Minor Digital Science get precedence.