National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis

Outlines general ideas on fundamental issues related to the distinctive characteristics of spatial data analysis as opposed to data analysis in general. Focuses on two issues that are often overlooked in technical treatments of the methods of spatial statistics and spatial econometrics. One is therelevance for spatial data analysis of the ongoing debate about methodology in the disciplines of statistics and econometrics. The other is much narrower and pertains to the role of spatial errors in modeling and analysis. Includes an extensive bibliography. Paper prepared for presentation at the Spring 1989 Symposium on Spatial Statistics, Past, Present and Future, Department of Geography, Syracuse University.