Special Topics in GIS Lab 12

This week in the lab we focused on Graphically Weighted Regression or (GWR). This type of regression analysis uses the same analysis as the OLS, but takes into account a spacial aspect. For the lab this week we used a county area with locations and types of different crimes. The goal was to select a particular dependent variable and figure out which independent variables are able to describe the dependent variable the best. Using techniques learned from previous labs I created a correlation matrix and exploratory regression in ArcGIS to determine the most descriptive regression was completed using three distinct independent variables. I then used these variables to create an OLS and GWR analysis for comparison. After reviewing the results it was clear that the GWR was more than 10% more accurate in describing the dependent variable than the OLS. This is due to the GWR using the spatial aspect rather than analyzing as a whole.