The spatial transcript: Analysing mobilities through qualitative GIS

This paper identifies a failure by mobilities scholars to engage with the methodological and analytical possibilities offered by qualitative GIS. We argue this represents a missed opportunity and present the spatial transcript, a technique we have developed in order to address this shortcoming. Qualitative GIS seeks to find ways to analyse how space shapes data, offering a useful way in to investigating the mobile body. The spatial transcript allows researchers to engage in a process of grounded visualisation in order to analyse interview data in the context of the location in which it was gathered. We conclude that this technique offers valuable insights into the ways that space and mobilities are co-constructed. © 2011 The Authors. Area © 2011 Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers).