ABSTRACT
Georeferenced data usually require considerable manipulation and checking before they can be subjected to statistical analysis. The Moran scatterplot provides a very powerful general tool for assessing the quality of spatial data. One of the major difficulties associated with combining spatial data is the problem of misalignment. Adjustments in the spatial component of a data set generally involve three primary operations. The first is georegistration, which is the alignment of the coordinates defining the spatial component of a data record with the true geographic coordinates of the corresponding location of the spatial entity. The second adjustment is to transform the projection if necessary. The third operation is the correction of spatial misalignment. The precise definition of interpolation is analogous to the geostatistical definition: the process of “increasing the coverage of the research area.” The process of change of support via interpolation is known in the geographic information system literature as resampling.
