“A map is the greatest of all epic poems. Its lines and colors show the realization of great dreams.”Gilbert H. Grosvenor, Editor of National Geographic (1903- 1954)
GIS data can describe features across many areas of interest, including political and administrative boundaries, infrastructures, terrestrial features, land use and environmental resources, census blocks and demographic statistics, and much more.
When selecting GIS datasets for analysis or display, there are some important considerations to keep in mind. The answers will of course depend on the specific needs of the user:
Northeastern's site license to ArcGIS includes access to the ESRI Virtual Campus (for current students, faculty and staff on campus computers). Please inquire for details.
ArcGIS
ArcGIS is a GIS software suite published by ESRI, and is both the leading commercial GIS software available and the software of choice for use at NU. It consists of several different components which work in conjunction with one another to make geospatial data management easier. The predominant components are:
-ArcGIS Pro: Powerful interface to generate maps and run spatial analysis
ArcGIS also has a free online version for quick and easy mapmaking, as well as a year-long home-use license available for purchase.
GIS Resources in the Libraries
Search the "library catalogs" portion of Scholar OneSearch for books at Northeastern University; search the full Scholar OneSearch for articles, books, and other resources about geographic information systems.
Looking for Northeastern University Data? Check out: Northeastern University GIS Hub
To find Datasets please expand the tab and find subcategorize which you are interested in.
Image courtesy of Kathy Herrlich, Research and Instruction Librarian, Northeastern University