Map data geographically

Features

Digital mapping or "GIS" (Geographical Information Software) tools can be used to connect data to geographical information (typical a street address or longitude and latitude coordinates) so that it can be displayed graphically as a map.

Digital mapping can be as simple as using the location metadata attached to pictures taken from an iPhone to create a photo tour of a particular place, and as complex as analyzing geographic distributions of variable combinations using census data.

Getting Started

See http://libguides.brynmawr.edu/bmc-academictech/mapping-in-the-classroom for an overview of digital mapping tools. 

Several free digital mapping tools are available to Bryn Mawr faculty, students and staff. The free version of the web-based Google Maps is sufficient for many academic and non-academic mapping projects. Sketch-Up, a plug-in for Google Earth that lets you create location-specific 3-D models, is available in the Digital Media and Collaboration Lab in Carpenter.

For more complex projects, ARCGIS is a free tool available on library lab computers and for download or cloud use at https://www.arcgis.com/features/

Most mobile phones and some cameras "geotag" or attach GPS location data to photographs by default. This data also be added manually. See "Geotagged photgraph" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotagged_photograph) for details. 

Support

  • Training videos and courses are also available through Lynda.com, including:  
    • GIS on the Web (using web tools like Google Maps, Google Earth, etc.) 
    • Up and Running with ArcGIS (beginner-level) 
    • ArcGIS Essential Training (intermediate-level) 
    • Real-World GIS (application ideas and issues) 
  • Consult your camera or mobile device's documentation to determine whether it has geotagging capabilities and how to turn them on or off.
  • Contact the Help Desk with questions or to request an appointment with an Educational Technology Specialist: help@brynmawr.edu or 610-526-7440
 
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Details

Service ID: 242
Created
Tue 2/16/16 4:30 PM
Modified
Wed 1/17/18 2:42 PM