One frequently stated advantage of GIS is its ability to analyse data. In reality, GIS software has only very limited analytical capabilities so users must devise their own means of analysing spatial and temporal data within a GIS environment. This can be regarded as an opportunity as, rather than relying on "off-the-shelf" solutions offered by software vendors, researchers have to develop their own analytic procedures. This is particularly true in the arts and humanities where techniques devised in the earth and social sciences are unlikely to be appropriate. Indeed, even the word "analysis" has different connotations when crossing this divide. This paper presents a brief overview of some of the principles that a researcher should bear in mind when devising analytic methodologies in the arts and humanities.