Final Project Task 2

For this project task, you will develop a research question for your final project and appropriately “pre-process” your selected dataset

Research Question

Your literature review and basic data exploration in Project Task 1 has given you a sense of the literature and data available about your topic and allowed you to explore open-ended questions. You also now have a clearer picture of the methodologies that you will know how to execute in this class.

Now is the opportunity to write a clear, focused research question to guide your final project. Your research question should be:

Specific. Your research question should target a specific hazard over a specified time period and geographic region.
Answerable with your existing methodological skills. Be wary of words like “cause”, “significance”, or “prove”.

Additional Tips:

Consult with your instructor: Discuss your research question ideas with your instructor to ensure they are feasible and aligned with the course objectives.
Review the literature: Read relevant research articles to see how other scholars have framed their research questions.
Start simple: It is better to start with a narrower, more manageable question and expand it later if possible, than to start with an overly ambitious question that you cannot adequately answer.
It is perfectly fine to refine your question as you progress through the project and gain a deeper understanding of your topic.

Data Pre-Processing

Project Task 2 requires you to select a single dataset to analyze for your final project. You will work with a single dataset, but can work with multiple images within the dataset, depending on your spatial and temporal extent. Once you have selected your dataset, you should begin a final project script that:

Assigns your dataset to a variable
Executes any spatial and temporal filtering necessary to create an “analytical dataset”
Visualizes the data in a single map