GIS 5576: Spatial Digital Humanities

Finding GIS data

Where can I find geospatial data? How do I know if that data is any good? How can I teach about societal issues around data?

 

Framing Your Data Search

What geographic level are you trying to represent/analyze? What types of features do you need to represent?

For example,

  • Do you need to represent states, counties, cities (points or polygons), etc?
  • Do you need to see streets, water, elevation information?
  • Do you need parcel or ownership information?

 

Who would create this kind of data?

  • federal government (specific agency or branch?)
  • state government (specific branch or group?)
  • county government
  • city government
  • commercial entities
  • ??????

 

Would this type of data be publicly available or restricted in some way?

  • Could the information be restricted to protect someone from harm?
  • Might the information be restricted because of privacy issues?
  • Other restrictions?

 

What data formats are you willing/able to work with?

 

What kind of online tools might help you locate the data you need?

  • Data search tools.
  • Mapping tools that provide access to the data too.
  • Imagery search and or display tools.

Geospatial data

data.gov 
New data site with a subset of federal data and geospatial data available. Advantage: Can look easily for some specific formats including KML/KMZ and Shapefiles. 

Historical aerial photographs

Find statistics and data

Tracking your research

Citing maps, atlases, and geospatial (GIS) data

Last Updated: Jan 16, 2024 5:23 PM