Weight matrices and spatial autocorrelation statistics using a topological vector data model

Abstract

This paper reports on software to construct alternative weight matrices and to compute spatial autocorrelation statistics, namely the Moran coefficient and the Geary coefficient using Arc/Info’s data structure. As such it is an addition to recent efforts in linking GIS with exploratory spatial data analysis. The software is interfaced with Arc/Info via the Arc Macro Language (AML) so that it can be run in the ARC environment. This allows the user to perform exploratory analysis within GIS which may provide insights in subsequent spatial analysis and modelling.