GIS Analysis project

This is a mini GIS Analysis project as set out below. The idea is to take some data and (i) create some maps relevant to the stated problem, (ii) produce appropriate statistics and (iii) report on your findings.

To simplify matters, combined and streamlined project phases into two components:

Project proposal: You are given this. This phase of the project's deliverable combines the phases for problem identification and analysis. The proposal states the problem or issue, limits the scope of the project to a geographic area and specific purposes, lists map layers and data. Some of the text and other material of the proposal can be reused in the project's report.
Report: A report and the folders and files of your GIS are the major deliverables of the project. Map layouts are key parts of the report. You can use a wide variety of applications to create these but the final deliverable should be a pdf document.

The report is the most visible and portable deliverable that you produce. It is a stand-alone document that covers all phases of the project and its results. It brings together several parts of the proposal along with new materials such as map layouts.

The report structure follows the lines of the systems development life cycle: problem identification, analysis, solution, and results. Also, include a paragraph on future work with notes on implications for additional study. There is always more that can be done on a project, and it is important to summarize your ideas about additional work that might be done if time and resources are available.

The Problem

The problem to be addressed is to take data from the Irish Census of Population 2006 (the latest year for which figures are available) and analyse this data at the geographic level of the "Electoral Division". An electoral division (ED) is the smallest geographic unit for which statistics are gathered in the Republic of Ireland. There are 3409 EDs in the country.

You should take appropriate fields from the statistical datasets containing educational achievement and employment data and represent this geographically. You should use the results of your analysis to form a view as to whether the hypothesis is true. You should also be in a position to offer an informed opinion as to whether the data indicates inequities and, if so, how these might be solved.