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Geographic Information Systems (GIS)


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ESRI / Library Resources

  1. Search in ArcGIS Online using the Living Atlas or ArcGIS Online to find data sources.
  2. Look at data sources in the Find Maps / Data tab of this guide.

Tips for Googling GIS Data

Try searching for <placename> <keywords> or <topic> <keywords>. You may have to try different combinations to get to the GIS data site for the place you want -- if it even exists!

keyword examples:

  • open data
  • GIS
  • geo data
  • shapefiles

Your Research Question

Define Your Research Question

Try to state your research question without describing the sources or data you will use to answer the question.

Think about Your Method of Visualization or Analysis

What sort of analysis do you plan to do? Do you need to make a map to illustrate a point? Will you be using GIS software, such as ArcGIS or QGIS? Will you be working in a GIS tool in order to move data to another tool for analysis?

Define Your Topic

When you define your topic and unit of analysis, you should look at your research question and ask:

  • What are the specifics of the data I need to use to answer my research question? What is my topic? What unit of analysis, geographic unit, and time unit (frequency) do I need? Do I need time series data?

Define Your Topic

Use specific language when defining your topic. This will help you identify a variable or variables.

Examples:

  • I'm looking for the percentage of people living below the poverty line in areas where hurricanes frequently hit.

Identify Unit of Analysis

Who or what is being described by your variable(s)?

Examples:

  • Individuals, families, households
  • Institutions (companies, schools, non-profits, health facilities)
  • Products (commodities, stocks, currencies)

Identify Time Frame and Frequency

For what point in time do you want to know this about the people, institutions, or products you identified? How often do you want to know it about them?

Examples:

  • As recent as possible, plus data from 10 and 20 years before that
  • Every month in 1995 and 1996

Identify Geographic Unit

What part of the world is your research question concerned with?

Examples:

  • Counties in California
  • Countries currently in the EU
  • Businesses headquartered in China

Identify Whether this is Time Series Data

Are you looking for data collected at regular intervals over time? Identifying what sort of time series may be helpful as you search for data.

  • Cross sectional: collected at the same point of time for several individuals
  • Longitudinal/Panel: data collected at a sequence of time points for each of a sample of individuals
  • Time Series: data collected at a sequence of time points, usually at a uniform frequency
  • Pooled cross sectional time series: mixture of time series data and cross-section data

* Adapted from Barbara Mento's guide to Finding Data at Boston College

 

Issues Finding Data

When a GIS research project lacks data, you must either find alternative sources, create new data, or adjust the research design.
  • The best strategy depends on the scale of the problem and the nature of your project. 
Step 1: Re-evaluate and reframe your research question
Before seeking or creating new data, critically re-examine your research question. Can the scope be narrowed, or can the question be asked differently to suit the data that is available? For example, if you cannot find comprehensive national data, can you focus on a single state or city where data is plentiful?
 
Step 2: Search for alternative data sources
Check for other sources that might have the information you need.
  • Government portals and open data sites: Many federal, state, and local governments provide free datasets for public use.
  • Academic and scientific archives: Platforms like OpenTopography offer lidar data, while research institutions and universities often house specialized datasets.
  • OpenStreetMap and collaborative projects: For certain features, community-contributed data from OpenStreetMap can be a valuable resource. 

Unfortunately not all data has a geospatial component or is not collected at a level that you may want for your project. In this case you may need to adjust your research question.