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GIS & Geovisualization: Home

Guide of resources to support your GIS endeavours.

How do I get started?

So you need to make a map! This guide provides you with links to useful spatial data repositories and map collections. It also lists library supported software and services available to you as a University of Manitoba researcher.

We offer workshops too! Sign-up can be found in the library calendar.

Top Resources

How do I find geospatial data?

Ask yourself:

Who would be creating the data?

When trying to find data, the best way is to think who would be creating it: Government, Non-Profit Agency, Private Company, etc. Search the group’s website for a data portal or look for links for “data download” or “open data”.

 

Will the data already be in a geospatial format or will you need to create it?

Sometimes the data you need to make a map will not be in an appropriate format to be used with your visualization software, in this case files may need to be joined or digitized.


If all else fails...

Search Google by combining your keywords and words that describe your format (GIS, data, .shp, shapefile…) or try the Google Dataset Search.

***Remember to be critical here and assess the data the same way you would a journal article (think: currency, accuracy and authority)

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Meg Miller
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Currently on research leave until January 2025.