Alex Singleton

About Me

I am currently a Researcher working on the Spatial Literacy project (http://www.spatial-literacy.org). I previously completed a successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service where I developed Geodemographic profiling tools and techniques to enable UK Higher Education institutions to target and engage with under-represented groups.

My Research Interests

My research investigates how best to represent the multiple dimensions of social, spatial and temporal processes which shape access to Higher Education in the UK. A full and contextualised understanding of these concepts is acutely important to the stakeholders (pupils, universities, schools) of Higher Education for effective decision making. The agendas of widening participation, extending access and institutional marketing share common challenges to devise better ways of reaching potential students who are appropriately qualified and motivated to pursue and successfully complete the full range of institutional course offerings. University and college marketing initiatives are often unsystematic, even serendipitous, in the ways in which they identify schools and colleges for outreach and widening participation initiatives, and sometimes uncoordinated in how they present the full institutional profile of subjects of study in these activities. Thus, a core objective of my research has been to set out some relevant aspects of the changing Higher Education policy-setting arena and to present a systematic framework for widening participation and extending access in an era of variable fees. This research has involved collaboration with numerous data partners including UCAS, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). More broadly I am interested in how Geodemographic classification can be refined, and to what extent they can be considered safe to used in public sector applications.

Websites

• http://www.spatial-literacy.org
• http://www.spatial-literacy.org/esocietyprofiler/
• http://www.londonprofiler.org/
• http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/
• http://www.areaclassification.org.uk/
  

Accepted refereed publications in press

Longley, P., Singleton, A.D. (2008) Classification through Consultation: public views of the geography of the e-Society. International Journal of Geographical Information Science. In Press.

 Mateos, P., Singleton, A.D., Longley, P.A. (2008) Uncertainty in the analysis of ethnicity classifications. Issues of size, scale and aggregation of groups. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. In Press.

 Gibin, M., Singleton, A.D., Mateos, P., Longley, P.A. (2008) Exploratory Cartographic Visualisation of London using the Google Maps API. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy. In Press.

Singleton, A., Longley, P.A. (2008) Creating Open Source Geodemographics - Refining a National Classification of Census Output Areas for Applications in Higher Education. Papers in Regional Science. In Press.

Haklay, M., Parker, C., Singleton, A.D. (2008) Web mapping 2.0: the Neogeography of the Geospatial Internet.  Geography Compass. In Press.

Longley, P.A., Singleton, A.D. (2009) Linking Social Deprivation and Digital Exclusion in England. Urban Studies. In Press.

 Publications in professional magazines

Singleton, A.D., Hudson-Smith, A. (2008) Digital Geography in a Web 2.0 World. GISProfessional. No 21 April 2008, pp 20-21.

Refereed conference proceedings

Singleton, A.D. , Farr, M. (2004) Widening Access and Participation in Higher Education. Proceedings of the GIS Research UK 12th Annual Conference. 28th - 30th April 2004. Norwich, University of East Anglia.

Singleton, A.D. (2005) Widening Access and Participation in Higher Education. Proceedings of the GIS Research UK 13th Annual Conference. 6th - 8th April 2005. Glasgow, University of Glasgow.

Singleton, A.D. (2006) Bespoke Versus General Purpose Discrete Classifications: Segmentation of Higher Education Market Data. Proceedings of the GIS Research UK 14th Annual Conference. 5th-7th April 2006. Nottingham, University of Nottingham.

Singleton, A.D., Longley, P. (2007) Modifying the 2001 Census Output Area Classification for Applications in Higher Education. Proceedings of the GIS Research UK 15th Annual Conference. 11th – 13th April 2007. Ireland, NUI Maynooth.

Book reviews

Singleton, A.D. (2008) Book Review – Bright Satanic Mills: Universities, Regional Development and the Knowledge Economy. Environment and Planning B. In Press.

Singleton, A.D. (2004) Book Review – Handbook of Data Analysis, Hardy et al. Environment and Planning B. 31(5), 800-801.

Contributions to books

“The Geodemography of Geography” pp 483 in Geographic Information Systems and Science (2005) (second edition). Chichester, Wiley (P A Longley, M F Goodchild, D J Maguire, D W Rhind).

Working papers

Singleton, A.D. (2004) A State of the Art Review of Geodemographics and their Applicability to the Higher Education Market. CASA Working Paper 74. London: Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.

Singleton, A.D., Davidson-Burnett, G., Longley, P.A. (2007) University Market Area Analysis for Widening Participation. CEBE Working Paper. 12. London: Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.

Hudson-Smith,A., Milton,R., Batty,M., Gibin,M., Longley,P., Singleton,A. (2007) Public Domain GIS, Mapping & Imaging Using Web-based Services. CASA Working Paper 120. London: Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.

Singleton, A.D. (2007) Comparing Classifications: Some Preliminary Speculations on an Appropriate Scale for Neighbourhood Analysis with Reference to Geodemographic Information Systems. CASA Working Paper 127. London: Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.

Singleton, A.D. Longley, P.A. (2008) Creating Open Source Geodemographic Classifications for Higher Education Applications. CASA Working Paper 133. London: Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.

Gibin, M., Singleton, A.D., Milton, R., Mateos, P., Longley, P.A. (2008) Collaborative Mapping of London Using Google Maps: The LondonProfiler. CASA Working Paper 132. London: Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.

Other conferences

Singleton, A.D. (2005) The Social Space of UK Higher Education Acceptances. Royal Geographical Society Conference. 31 August – 2 September. London, Royal Geographical Society.

Singleton, A.D. (2006) Under the Spotlight. Geodemographic Segmentation of Higher Education Market Data. Regional Science Annual Conference. 16th – 18th August 2006. Jersey, Regional Science Association.

Longley, P., Singleton, A.D. (2006) Circling the Drain. Royal Geographical Society Conference. 30th August – 1st September 2006. London, Royal Geographical Society.

Lloyd, D., Singleton, A.D., Longley, P. (2006) Towards a World Wide Genealogical Website: People, Places and Geographical Geneology. Royal Geographical Society Conference. 30th August – 1st September 2006. London, Royal Geographical Society.

Singleton, A.D. (2006) Higher Education Segmentation. 30th August – 1st September 2006. Royal Geographical Society Conference. London, Royal Geographical Society.

Singleton, A.D. (2006) – Demonstration of Institutional and Subject Geodemographic Profiling. Spatial Literacy, Student Recruitment and Widening Participation. 12th June 2006. London, University College London.

Invited conferences & seminars

Singleton, A.D. (2004) Geodemographics for Education. UCAS Admission Officers Conference. 5th – 7th April 2004. Reading, University of Reading.

Singleton, A.D. (2004) Tailored Geodemographics - The Construction of an Educational Mosaic. LSDA Research Conference. 8th - 9th December, 2005. London, Paddington Hilton.

Singleton, A.D. (2005) Marketing a New Market? Admission Officers Conference. 12th – 14th April 2004. Keele, Keele University.

Singleton, A.D. (2007) A Meritocratic Market? Tailoring Geodemographics for use in Higher Education Widening Participation. January 24th, 2007. Bristol, Bristol University.

Singleton, A.D. (2007) Open Source Geodemographics: Applications for Education. 22nd March 2007. Sheffield, ESRC Research Methods – “Geodemographics and the Social Sciences”.

Longley, P.A., Singleton, A.D. (2007) Turning Data into Information: Geodemographic Applications. 14-18th May 2007. Ritsumeikan University – Koyoto, Japan.

Contact Details

UCL Department of Geography
University College London
Pearson Building
Gower Street
London. WC1E 6BT.

Tel: 020 7679 0510
Fax: 020 7679 0565
E-Mail: a.singleton@ucl.ac.uk
Website: http://www.spatial-literacy.org