Human geography and its research methods

In human geography, the focus is on the regional aspects of human activity and where the interaction between humans and nature actually happens. Human geography divides the world into various economic, political, and cultural constituents.

A region is an area that is internally coherent and delimited from other, surrounding regions. The world can be divided into continents and countries. These, in turn which can be further divided into provinces, municipalities, and neighbourhoods. Regions can also be shaped by their cultural circles, economic interactions or ideas that people have about them.

Through the spatial analysis of human geography, we understand the kinds of regional units the Earth is made of and the smaller places it is made up of. This gives us a better idea of the development, resources and needs of different regions. Thus, we can identify where development is progressing well, and which regions are facing the greatest challenges.

We need many kinds of sources and research methods to explore our own immediate environment and the world at large. A significant amount of information about the Earth, its countries and its different regions is available through online databases. Some of the information is available in the form of direct geospatial data that describes and exemplifies the phenomenon in a specific region. More information can be acquired through personal surveys, interviews, and observations.

Research means that systematic scientific action has been taken in order to figure out an issue. Usually, research consists of reading previous studies and their results, defining the subject, formulating research questions, defining the central concepts, choosing the research method, collecting the research material, analysing the materials, and answering the research questions using logical deduction. Finally, the findings of the study are presented.

In quantitative research, a geographer collects new material for research based on observations and measurements, or by relying on existing materials such as statistics or databases. In examining this new material, the geographer tries to understand the phenomenon at hand and create larger generalisations that might go beyond the research material. This kind of research makes use of precise computational statistical methods and models.

Quantitative research methods are great for geographic studies that focus on larger sets of observations, such as those concerning regional changes in climate, the environment or populations. Quantitative research materials are gathered and analysed through measurements, surveys and interviews. These methods provide information about how common and widespread the studied phenomenon is, and how much it affects different regions.

Statistics about a region’s population and their activities make the precise and systematic study of the region possible. All kinds of statistics can easily be found on the internet, in statistical books or in various databases.

The direction of development can be seen from examining the statistics of several years in a series. The observations made about different regions can be compared. Statistical methods can be used to highlight significant connections between observations. Afterwards, the reasons and causes behind the observed phenomena can be reflected upon.

Information about the development of regions is gained by looking at population numbers, the number of people in different age groups, and the changes in these numbers over time. In less developed regions, children make up a large share of the total population, while the number of elderly people is low. Statistics on education and health in the region indicate the level of well-being. The more highly educated people there are, the more developed the region. A high number of illiterate people is a sign of problems in the region's development. Common diseases are also quite good indicators of a region’s level of development.

Statistics that concern industry and livelihoods are useful when examining a region's economy. The most common indicator of economic development is the value of all of the goods and services produced in the region over a year. This is called the gross domestic product (GDP). In order to compare different countries and regions, GDP can be divided by the population (GDP per capita). High unemployment rates indicate economic issues in a region. If a great share of the workforce is employed in agriculture, it shows that the region is either less developed or specialised in agriculture. Sometimes, the amount of natural resources is evident in the statistics. The number of mining operations is one indicator of the utilisation of a region's natural resources. In industrial countries, the share of people employed in industry is higher than in other countries. In all highly-developed countries, the vast majority of people work in service industries.

Helsinki seems to be a lovely city according to this picture. If your assignment was to find if the people in the city are satisfied with it, what qualitative aspects would you study?

Qualitative research methods include interpretation, observation and interviews. These have always been important ways of investigating the features of different regions. They cannot be used to make precise measurements, but they can provide an overview of the region and phenomenon in question.

Qualitative interview methods can take the form of individual or group interviews. The interview can be based on a precise plan, such as a questionnaire with limited questions and themes. Interviews can reveal different perspectives and arguments about the good and bad aspects of the region under study.

Careful and attentive observation can be used to quickly and efficiently study how a city or region has developed. The observer pays attention to things such as the condition of the roads and buildings, the amount of traffic, how much litter there is on the streets, the efficiency of public transport, the types of clothing that people wear, the interactions between people, the ethnicities of the workers, the availability and price of consumer goods, or perhaps the English language skills of people passing on the street. While moving through a city, a region or a country, it is normal to observe the differences between regions. Conversations with ordinary people and interviews with experts give new perspectives on the subject under study.

Experienced observers can quickly get a feel for the area and its level of development. It is essential to record observations and interviews accurately. It is also useful to follow local and national media outlets and compare their information with information from other sources.

Geospatial information can take various forms. It can be information that is experienced by the individual, information measured by others, or information collected by the society. Geospatial information always includes the geographical location of the information in question. Examples of geospatial information include the volume of traffic at a particular intersection or the current location of an object during a postal delivery.

For many countries and regions, accurate geographic information is readily available. It provides detailed information on the population, economy and the environment. Often, this information is available down to the level of a square kilometre. This information is useful in many geographical contexts. For example, the land use of a region can be studied by interpreting maps or satellite images, while positioning systems (e.g. GPS) are used to study changes in the location of people and things. Today, location data is connected to many products and objects. Location information is often presented in digital form. Spatial digital information is part of geomedia, a diverse set of information and media linked to locations and places.

Observations about changes in land use can be made from comparing older and newer maps to each other. In order to use the spatial data, there must be a connection to the databases of the region. Geographers use geographic information systems (GIS) to process and organise geospatial data. Geospatial data is mostly processed using quantitative research methods, such as statistics, computational geometry, or network theory. Geospatial data is useful for planning and developing the environment and society.