Researchers

Dr Ian Gregory, University of Portsmouth
Dr Paul Ell, Queen’s University, Belfast

Mr M. Woollard, University of Essex

November 2002 - November 2003

Context

There has been heavy investment in Geographical Information Systems but most use is confined to mapping.
This project will extend the use of GIS by using historical census data to analyse the impact of the Great Irish Famine from 1841 to 1871 over space and over time simultaneously.

Aims and Objectives

• To increase the awareness and use of GIS by historians, demographers and historical geographers;
• To conduct an small scale study to investigate the potential of GIS to analyse demographic change over space and time;
• To use spatial analysis to contribute to our knowledge of the Great Irish famine.

Methodological aspects

To extend the use of GIS to maximise the use of space, time and attribute in analysing demographic.

Two techniques will be combined:

• areal interpolation to overcome the problems of different geographical areas
• geographically weighted regression to analyse the effect of the famine across space

Research Design

• Obtain accurate boundaries for Ireland for 1841-1871;
• Digitise boundaries as polygons;
• Link polygons to the statistical database using place names;
• Interpolate data onto appropriate target geographies to allow long-run comparisons;
• Use geographically weighted regression to explore the relationship between variables over the map.
  

Outputs

An expert workshop will be held October 2003 Conference presentations at: Nineteenth Century Studies Association (New Orleans, 6-8 th March, 2003)
RGS-IBG (London 3-5 th September, 2003)
Social Science History Association (Baltimore, 13-16th November, 2003)

Papers

Historical Methods: A methodological paper
Journal of Historical Geography: An applied paper
Data deposited in the Data Archive