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more than numbers: 
practicing qualitative GIS 
ryan burns 
rlburns@uw.edu 
http://burnsr77.github.io
GIS is not about numbers
GIS is not about numbers 
GIS is about collecting, ordering, and 
representing knowledge about the world
GIS is not about numbers 
GIS is about collecting, ordering, and 
representing knowledge about the world 
qualitative GIS fills an important gap: the 
(traditionally) overlooked notion that people 
have complex experiences of places
you already do qualitative work with GIS!
You already do qualitative work with GIS! 
fear
You already do qualitative work with GIS! 
curiosity 
fear
You already do qualitative work with GIS! 
curiosity 
fear 
evocation
you already do qualitative work with GIS! 
deliberation 
curiosity 
fear 
evocation
why look at “qualitative” data?
why look at “qualitative” data? 
maps are seen to be authoritative
maps are seen to be authoritative 
politically powerful! 
why look at “qualitative” data?
“they’re like, ‘Are you sure this is it?’ And he’s like, ‘Yes,it’s 
there. It’s on the map.’ (Elwood, S. 2009. Multiple 
Representations, Significations, and Epistemologies in 
Community-Based GIS. In Qualitative GIS. )
why look at “qualitative” data? 
maps are seen to be authoritative 
politically powerful! 
gain insights into social processes
why look at “qualitative” data? 
maps are seen to be authoritative 
politically powerful! 
gain insights into social processes 
because geographic information is embedded with values and norms
national politics Source: Graham, M., M. 
Zook. 2013. Augmented 
realities and uneven 
geographies: exploring 
the geolinguistic 
contours of the web. 
Environment and 
Planning A 45: 77-99.
national politics Source: Graham, M., M. 
Zook. 2013. Augmented 
realities and uneven 
geographies: exploring 
the geolinguistic 
contours of the web. 
Environment and 
Planning A 45: 77-99.
national politics Source: Graham, M., M. 
Zook. 2013. Augmented 
realities and uneven 
geographies: exploring 
the geolinguistic 
contours of the web. 
Environment and 
Planning A 45: 77-99.
qualitative methods 
interpretive, discourses, contextual, anti-abstraction
what did I just see? 
data is a way of abstracting, collecting, ordering, and representing the world
what did I just see? 
data is a way of abstracting, collecting, ordering, and representing the world 
qualitative data preserve the context, complexity, and richness of human 
experience
what did I just see? 
data is a way of abstracting, collecting, ordering, and representing the world 
qualitative data preserve the context, complexity, and richness of human 
experience 
(this does not mean it’s inaccurate)
what did I just see? 
data is a way of abstracting, collecting, ordering, and representing the world 
qualitative data preserve the context, complexity, and richness of human 
experience 
(this does not mean it’s inaccurate) 
qualitative methods can be a way of re-contextualizing numbers
thank you for your time and attention 
now go eat responsibly 
ryan burns 
rlburns@uw.edu 
http://burnsr77.github.i 
o
JANUARY 10, 2010 
OpenStreetMap
January 14, 2010
Today
USHAHIDI 
300 reports
USHAHIDI [PT 2] 
300 reports

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Qualitative GIS Guest Lecture

  • 1. more than numbers: practicing qualitative GIS ryan burns rlburns@uw.edu http://burnsr77.github.io
  • 2. GIS is not about numbers
  • 3. GIS is not about numbers GIS is about collecting, ordering, and representing knowledge about the world
  • 4. GIS is not about numbers GIS is about collecting, ordering, and representing knowledge about the world qualitative GIS fills an important gap: the (traditionally) overlooked notion that people have complex experiences of places
  • 5. you already do qualitative work with GIS!
  • 6. You already do qualitative work with GIS! fear
  • 7. You already do qualitative work with GIS! curiosity fear
  • 8. You already do qualitative work with GIS! curiosity fear evocation
  • 9. you already do qualitative work with GIS! deliberation curiosity fear evocation
  • 10. why look at “qualitative” data?
  • 11. why look at “qualitative” data? maps are seen to be authoritative
  • 12.
  • 13. maps are seen to be authoritative politically powerful! why look at “qualitative” data?
  • 14. “they’re like, ‘Are you sure this is it?’ And he’s like, ‘Yes,it’s there. It’s on the map.’ (Elwood, S. 2009. Multiple Representations, Significations, and Epistemologies in Community-Based GIS. In Qualitative GIS. )
  • 15. why look at “qualitative” data? maps are seen to be authoritative politically powerful! gain insights into social processes
  • 16.
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 19.
  • 20. why look at “qualitative” data? maps are seen to be authoritative politically powerful! gain insights into social processes because geographic information is embedded with values and norms
  • 21. national politics Source: Graham, M., M. Zook. 2013. Augmented realities and uneven geographies: exploring the geolinguistic contours of the web. Environment and Planning A 45: 77-99.
  • 22. national politics Source: Graham, M., M. Zook. 2013. Augmented realities and uneven geographies: exploring the geolinguistic contours of the web. Environment and Planning A 45: 77-99.
  • 23. national politics Source: Graham, M., M. Zook. 2013. Augmented realities and uneven geographies: exploring the geolinguistic contours of the web. Environment and Planning A 45: 77-99.
  • 24. qualitative methods interpretive, discourses, contextual, anti-abstraction
  • 25.
  • 26.
  • 27.
  • 28.
  • 29.
  • 30.
  • 31.
  • 32.
  • 33. what did I just see? data is a way of abstracting, collecting, ordering, and representing the world
  • 34. what did I just see? data is a way of abstracting, collecting, ordering, and representing the world qualitative data preserve the context, complexity, and richness of human experience
  • 35. what did I just see? data is a way of abstracting, collecting, ordering, and representing the world qualitative data preserve the context, complexity, and richness of human experience (this does not mean it’s inaccurate)
  • 36. what did I just see? data is a way of abstracting, collecting, ordering, and representing the world qualitative data preserve the context, complexity, and richness of human experience (this does not mean it’s inaccurate) qualitative methods can be a way of re-contextualizing numbers
  • 37. thank you for your time and attention now go eat responsibly ryan burns rlburns@uw.edu http://burnsr77.github.i o
  • 38. JANUARY 10, 2010 OpenStreetMap
  • 40. Today
  • 42. USHAHIDI [PT 2] 300 reports

Editor's Notes

  1. mapping technologies can also serve as a rallying point around the nation as a site of politics
  2. mapping technologies can also serve as a rallying point around the nation as a site of politics
  3. mapping technologies can also serve as a rallying point around the nation as a site of politics
  4. OSM is a digital humanitarian technology Leogane, 25 km west of PAP