Tech Tips

Tech Tip: Getting starting with PostGIS for geographic analysis

IRE and NICAR

For journalists hoping to analyze geographic data, the cost of geographic information system (GIS) software can be prohibitive. Fortunately, there are open-source, free solutions available for cost-cutting journalists who want to do spatial analysis.

Pursuing an open-source option is easier said than done. Often, open-source software can be difficult for the lay journalist to install and even begin to understand.

PostGIS for PostgreSQL database manager offers a solution that is free, robust and easy to use — assuming you know what you're doing.

Nick McClellan is a master's student at the Missouri School of Journalism and worked with IRE as a graduate research assistant.

Tags:

A Tale of Two Values: Using Logistic Regression

Linear regression is a great tool when your outcome variable is test scores or loan amounts or another continuous variable. But sometimes, your output is a Yes or a No. That type of outcome is known as dichotomous.

You still can do something similar to linear regression because some super smart stats dude awhile back came up with a way to mimic linear regression with a dichotomous outcome variable.

To do logistic regression SPSS, you need to have the “regression models” add-on program. You also have to understand your data and do a little prep work on it.

Three (more) good reasons to learn Linux

The other day, I was talking to one of my colleagues about how I rarely use ArcView anymore. Since becoming a full-fledged Linux jockey, I've found so many tools that process GIS data better than Arc ever has. Sure, it still provides a pretty graphical interface, which definitely comes in handy, but most of the time I don't need it. The green and black of the Linux terminal window line suits me just fine.

Computing Environments Built For You

One of the biggest hurdles we all face for trying new software or utilities is the lack of a sandbox, a machine we can just use when we want to without having to worry if something goes wrong.

This is particularly true for new open-source technologies, like the fast-growing field of open source GIS software. Sure, it would be great to try out OpenLayers or other mapping utilities, but it's not like we can just turn our main computer into a development box overnight.

Again with the PDFs

So, a tipster has just shown you the document you need to nail a story.

Problem is, she can't give it to you, there's no copy machine in the diner where you met and you need to show it to your editor before the story runs.

What to do? What to do?

Enter Qipit, a free service that turns pictures from your cell phone into searchable PDFs.

Using Qipit is as simple as taking a picture of a document, white board or even handwritten notes with your

Thematic image maps on the cheap

The Journal News

When you have detailed information about small areas, an interactive, thematic Web map can make all the difference, such as this one showing presidential election results by precinct.

Tim Henderson is a data analyst with The Journal News in White Plains, N.Y.

Tags:

Matching for dead registered voters

Texas Watchdog

My news organization, Texas Watchdog, found thousands of dead people on our local county's voter rolls and dozens whose names may have been used to cast ballots after their deaths.

We couldn't have conducted the investigation without the IRE and NICAR Boot Camp training in Columbia, Mo.

Lee Ann O'Neal is deputy editor with Texas Watchdog, a nonprofit news site and training center based in Houston.

Tags:

CAR Tool

Overcome IT roadblocks with Amazon data services

Houston Chronicle


It has become a common refrain among journalists who want to develop data-rich Web applications: What good is learning programming skills if our newsroom IT sentries won’t give us a server to work on?

Chase Davis is an investigative reporter at the Houston Chronicle and a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He also serves as an instructor for IRE and NICAR’s Web framework boot camps.

Tags:

Flying with SQL subqueries

In most cases, when you want to match data from one table in a database to another, a common approach is to use a JOIN clause in your query.

For example, if you had a list of candidates in one table, and a list of donations made to candidates (with one field having a candidate ID in it), you'd probably either use JOIN clause or a WHERE clause to match them together:

(pseudo-code)

SELECT * FROM candidates, donations where candidates.candidate_id = donations.candidate_id;

Tech Tip

Data scrubbing ID's college football players with criminal records

ESPN

Catching a 20-year-old college football player drinking might be as easy as stumbling into any busy bar near campus.

Trying to find every player who has run afoul with the law over eight years takes more work.

Producer David Lubbers and reporter Steve Delsohn were already working on a story about Penn State players when I joined ESPN in May. (Watch the report on ESPN's "Outside the Lines.")

Paula Lavigne is a reporter in ESPN's Enterprise Unit.

Tags:

Advertise in Uplink

IRE logo

The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting is a joint program of
Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc., and the Missouri School of Journalism.

141 Neff Annex, Missouri School of Journalism, Columbia MO, 65211, Tel. 573-882-2042, Fax 573-884-5544

All Rights Reserved