This guide covers search tools for research in topics related to Geography.
Getting Started
Start with:
- Web of ScienceA comprehensive interdisciplinary collection of journal article citations. Subjects generally covered are within science and technology, arts and humanities, and social sciences. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
Then try any of the following:
- Google Scholar (Setup connection to get to PDFs)Use Google Scholar to find articles from academic publishers, professional societies, research institutes, and scholarly repositories from colleges and universities. If you are using from off-campus access, change the "Library Settings" to University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Look for the "FindIt@U of M Twin Cities" links in your Google Scholar search results to access full text and PDFs. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
- GeoRefSearch tool for scholarly research about the geosciences. Includes journal articles, books, conference proceedings, government publications, theses, reports, and maps.
- Academic Search PremierA great place to start your research on any topic, search multidisciplinary, scholarly research articles. This database provides access to scholarly and peer reviewed journals, popular magazines and other resources. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
Online mapping and databases
- PolicyMap This link opens in a new windowPolicyMap is a web-based online data and mapping application that provides access to over 15,000 indicators related to demographics, housing, crime, mortgages, health, jobs and more. Data is available at all common geographies (address, block group, census tract, zip code, county, city, state, MSA) as well as unique geographies like school districts and political boundaries. Data comes from both public and proprietary sources.
- Social Explorer This link opens in a new windowOffers the ability to create customized maps and reports of demographic, housing, and employment patterns throughout the United States using data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
- SimplyAnalytics This link opens in a new windowSimplyAnalytics (formerly SimplyMap) contains extensive data including demographic, real estate, housing, employment, consumer spending, health data, D&B business points-of-interest file and marketing data from EASI including Life Stages and Mediamark Research (MRI) with current estimates of usage and consumption (propensity) for thousands of very specific and detailed products, including actual brand data, frequency of usage and more. Users can create customized maps and reports; data is available at the State, County, City, ZIP Code, Census Tract and Block Group level as well as custom trade area and the entire United States. Limited to 5 simultaneous users.
Newly added to SimplyAnalytics in Dec. 2018: Nielsen Scarborough surveys more than 210,000 people across the country to capture local consumer trends from over 140 large and mid-tier markets.
Click on Help to watch training videos. "Sign in as a guest" if you do not wish to register for a personal account. Personal accounts save your preferences, reports, and maps.
- More online mapping and databasesWhile not exhaustive, the list below highlights many of the map and geography-related resources that the University Libraries license for use by faculty, staff and students.
Also check out:
- Data Planet Statistical Datasets This link opens in a new windowProvides access to statistical data produced by U.S. Federal agencies, States, private organizations, and major intergovernmental organizations. There are up to 2 billion charts, maps, views, rankings, time series and tables available for use in the Data-Planet repository.
- The Map Library, in Wilson Library, contains and extensive collection of maps, GIS and spatial data computer lab and support, aerial photos and more.
Citing Maps & Atlases
Last Updated: Dec 2, 2022 12:34 PM
URL: https://libguides.umn.edu/geography