Category: Week 5

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Methods

ArcGIS

I am using ArcGIS StoryMaps to visualize my information and findings because it helps me frame my research as a story and narrative. This tool allows me to combine sections, maps, text, images, and multimedia in a seamless manner. I feel that it will make my project more engaging and easy to navigate. I am also using ArcGIS to help visualize some of my data by mapping by county. 

TimelineJS

I am using TimelineJS to help visualize events during the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic phases. It is also easy to use and visually appealing. This tool helps show the sequence of events in an engaging manner. I feel that it will help me paint a detailed, concise, clear picture of events in a way that is still engaging for the viewer. 

Datawrapper and Tableau

I am using Datawrapper and Tableau to help visualize elements such as arrest and prosecution rates. Both tools make it easy to create clear and interactive charts and graphs. Datawrapper is great for quick and simple visualizations while Tableau offers more advanced and interactive features for detailed analysis.

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Tools

Mapping-ArcGis

First of all, GIS facilitates specific epidemiology mapping – a key attribute for  analyzing the cases of the sickle cell disease and its mortality rates in different areas. It enables the determination of areas of high incidence and disease prevalence for purposes of determining geographic inequality. When these data are set with the demographic factors one  can identify certain features and trends that cannot be identified with the help of typical analytical tools.

Second, GIS is used significantly in measuring the attainment of healthcare facilities. Through such mapping of the institutions attending to patients with sickle cell disease, one is  able to come up with areas where access to quality health is a major issue. Hypothesis testing of travel distances to these facilities, beyond that, helps to benchmark areas within which the patient encounters difficulties in getting appropriate health care. The information is useful to those in the policymakers and healthcare institutions who have an interest in upgrading the existing healthcare systems and eliminating various barriers to the accessing of healthcare facilities.

Audio-visual tools

Audio-visual tools can make a great impact on the education of the general public, especially individuals who have not heard about sickle cell diseases . They enable the depiction of morphological and biochemical phenomena or therapy methods and, as such, enhance the learning experience as compared to conventional textual instruction. Also, it must be stated that audio-visual aids are invaluable when it comes to patient education, especially young patients who are just getting to know of their condition. It has been established that patients suffering from sickle cell disease and their families have difficulties developing knowledge about this disease and its manifestations. The development and usage of educational videos and animations helps in elaboration and disseminating some medical information and knowledge to the wider community. These will enable me to showcase the struggles of the patients better compared to traditional text.

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Week 5 blogs

Write about 2-3 of the tools or methods you will be using in your project, and why you chose those. How can they help you answer your research question(s)? This description will help you write the methods section of your project site.

Zotero

Zotero has been extremely helpful in helping me keep all of my sources used throughout my literature searches. As I look though sources, I can add them to my library, which is organized through project, with just a click of a button! Zotero allows for annotations, note taking, bookmarks, and even creates a detailed bibliography with everything that is added. It is super convenient and saves plenty of time with organization by keeping everything in one place. I highly recommend Zotero for daily work, and most importantly for big research projects like this one.

ArcGIS

When I first seen what I could do with ArcGIS, I was fascinated. Through ArcGIS, you can digitize data in ways I have never seen. You are presented a live globe and are able to shift your focus on certain countries, counties, or states that is relevant to research, and you are able to import your own data! ArcGIS helps me perfectly, as I am able to accurately display my data on the demographics of Cape Verdeans throughout the country and the diaspora and make comparisons! As of now, I was able to display ship routes from Cape Verde to New England in the early 19th century. ArcGIS is also amazing as we are able to interact with these maps and fully understand them.

Timeline JS

Upon discovering Timeline JS, I felt the same as I did with ArcGIS. I am once again able to create a timeline of the history of Cape Verde and interact with the timeline. I am able to add this to my StoryMap, and align it with the other tools I have incorporated.

Overall, all of these tools have been great and made my project easier, and more interesting to do. I believe it is important to present your audience with interactive projects as it gains more audience attention and pleasure. None of this would have been possible without these tools.

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Methods

ArcGIS

It allows me to make sophisticated spatial analyses, allowing me to overlay different data layers, calculate distances, create buffers, and (potentially) perform statistical analysis based on geographic data. This capability is invaluable for urban planning and environmental assessment, 

ArcGIS facilitates the integration of various types of data, including spatial data (such as maps and satellite imagery) and tabular data (such as databases and spreadsheets). This integration allows for comprehensive analysis and visualisation, providing a holistic view of the data. One of the standout features of ArcGIS is its ability to create compelling visualizations of geographic data. By generating maps I hope to effectively communicate spatial patterns and relationships across disparities in Zimbabwe. This is crucial for understanding what underpins equitable development in Zimbabwe

Tableau

Similar to the visualisations in ArcGIS, Tableau accomplishes statistical visualisations to understand the background of Zimbabwe in terms of demographics, economy, and inflation. Tableau excels in creating highly interactive and visually appealing dashboards. This interactivity enhances data exploration and understanding, enabling me to have a deeper insight into the limitations and opportunities of Zimbabwe. Beyond basic visualisation, Tableau offers advanced analytics features such as statistical analysis, and forecasting, which if used correctly could uncover trends, patterns, and relationships in my data; but in my project, this largely depends on the quality of the data I have access to