Armacost Library: GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: Research Tools

What's on this page?

To search and analyze effectively, you may find the following tools helpful.

Basics about dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, and gazetteers
reference books about
- GIS
- Geography
- Spatial analysis
- Census
- Cartography
Digital gazetteers
Gazetteers in Armacost Library
GIS Utilities
Map making tools

GIS Utilities

Geocoder, U.S. Census
Use to translate a single or multiple addresses into georeferenced coordinates and geographic entities (e.g., census block)
BatchGeo
Use to map a table of addresses.
Color Brewer
Recommends color schemes for well-designed maps.
Esri's ArcGIS Resource Center -- Conversion Toolbox
Convert data from one file type to another.

Map Making Tools

Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Database provides visual analysis of U.S. demographics ranging back to 1940.

To use the tools below you'll need to provide your own data.

GIS

Esri Dictionary (online)
A to Z GIS by Shelly Sommer; Tasha Wade; RIC International (Translator) As GIS technology has evolved and grown, so has the language of this powerful tool. Written, developed, and reviewed by more than 150 subject-matter experts, A to Z GIS An Illustrated Dictionary of Geographic Information Systems is packed with more than 1,800 terms, nearly 400 full-color illustrations, and seven encyclopedia-style appendix articles about annotation and labels, features, geometry, layers in ArcGIS, map projections and coordinate systems, remote sensing, and topology. A to Z GIS An Illustrated Dictionary of Geographic Information Systems is a must-have resource for managers, programmers, users, writers, editors, and students discovering the interdisciplinary nature of GIS.
Call Number: G70.212 .A86 2006 (Reference Collection)
ISBN: 9781589481404
Encyclopedia of Geographic Information Science by Karen Kemp (Editor) Geographic information science (GIS) is an emerging field that combines aspects of many different disciplines. As a result, GIS literature is spread widely across the academic spectrum and the vocabulary is an amalgam of all of these fields. Often, given the specialized disciplinary orientations of authors, some expectation of foundational knowledge is assumed in much of the literature, making it difficult for readers from different disciplines to understand the full context of what they are reading. The Encyclopedia of Geographical Information Science provides a condensed but rich resource about themes broadly across the field. It also provides details about the key foundations of GIS, no matter what their disciplinary origins, and is, therefore, an important resource for both academic and corporate libraries. Key Themes: - Conceptual Foundations - Cartography and visualisation - Design aspects - Data modeling - Data manipulation - Geocomputation - Geospatial data - Societorial Issues - Spatial analysis - Organizational and institutional aspects
Call Number: G70.212 .E53 2008 (Reference Collection)
ISBN: 9781412913133
Encyclopedia of GIS by Shashi Shekhar (Editor); Hui Xiong (Editor) The Encyclopedia of GIS provides a comprehensive and authoritative guide, contributed by experts and peer-reviewed for accuracy, and alphabetically arranged for convenient access. The entries explain key software and processes used by geographers and computational scientists. Major overviews are provided for nearly 200 topics: Geoinformatics, Spatial Cognition, and Location-Based Services and more. Shorter entries define specific terms and concepts. The reference will be published as a print volume with abundant black and white art, and simultaneously as an XML online reference with hyperlinked citations, cross-references, four-color art, links to web-based maps, and other interactive features.
Call Number: G70.212 .E534 2008 (Reference Collection)
ISBN: 9780387359755
The Handbook of Geographic Information Science by A. Stewart Fotheringham (Editor); John P. Wilson (Editor) This Handbook is an essential reference and a guide to therapidly expanding field of Geographic Information Science. Designed for students and researchers who want an in-depthtreatment of the subject, including background information Comprises around 40 substantial essays, each written by arecognized expert in a particular area Covers the full spectrum of research in GIS Surveys the increasing number of applications of GIS Predicts how GIS is likely to evolve in the near future
ISBN: 9781405107952
Publication Date: 2007
The SAGE Handbook of GIS and Society by Timothy Nyerges (Editor); Helen Couclelis (Editor); Robert B. McMaster (Editor) "The definitive guide to a technology that succeeds or fails depending upon our ability to accommodate societal context and structures. This handbook is lucid, integrative, comprehensive and, above all, prescient in its interpretation of GIS implementation as a societal process."- Paul Longley, University College London "This is truly a handbook - a book you will want to keep on hand for frequent reference and to which GIS professors should direct students entering our field... Selection of a few of the chapters for individual attention is difficult because each one contributes meaningfully to the overall message of this volume. An important collection of articles that will set the tone for the next two decades of discourse and research about GIS and society." - Journal of Geographical AnalysisOver the past twenty years research on the evolving relationship between GIS and Society has been expanding into a wide variety of topical areas, becoming in the process an increasingly challenging and multifaceted endeavour. The SAGE Handbook of GIS and Society is a retrospective and prospective overview of GIS and Society research that provides an expansive and critical assessment of work in that field. Emphasizing the theoretical, methodological and substantive diversity within GIS and Society research, the book highlights the distinctiveness and intellectual coherence of the subject as a field of study, while also examining its resonances with and between key themes, and among disciplines ranging from geography and computer science to sociology, anthropology, and the health and environmental sciences. Comprising 27 chapters, often with an international focus, the book is organized into six sections: Foundations of Geographic Information and Society Geographical Information and Modern Life Alternative Representations of Geographic Information and Society Organizations and Institutions Participation and Community Issues Value, Fairness, and Privacy Aimed at academics, researchers, postgraduates, and GIS practitioners, this Handbook will be the basic reference for any inquiry applying GIS to societal issues.
ISBN: 9781412946452
Publication Date: 2011

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, & Handbooks

Use dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks to gather basic and background information.

Dictionary: Provides the meaning of words in a language or field of knowledge.

Encyclopedia: A single or multi-volume reference work that provides general background articles on either a wide range of topics or a more specialized discipline.

Handbook: A compact reference book giving the essential information in a given field of study.

Gazetteers

Gazetteers are tools that help researchers develop search strategies to find resources for a given area by

providing basic information for an area (e.g., population)
providing identifiers (e.g., census code: 59962)
standardizing place names (e.g., California is sometimes referred to as the "golden" state)
identifying variant place names (e.g., Mill Creek Zanja, Sankee, Sankey, Zahn-ha, Zieca, Zanka, Sanka, Sanja, Zanke)
identifying standard categories (feature classes) (e.g., battlefield, grassland, pipeline)
identifying broader and narrower place names (e.g., North American > United States > California > San Bernardino County > Redlands)
georeferencing locations (e.g., latitude and longitude coordinates)

To find information, you can run text-based searches or select a location or area on a map.

Digital Gazetteers

Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
TGN is a structured vocabulary, including names, descriptions, and other metadata for extant and historical cities, empires, archaeological sites, and physical features important to research of art and architecture. TGN may be linked to GIS, maps, and other geographic resources.
Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
A domestic database of current and historic geographic names. Provides city, state, latitude, longitude, and elevation data.
Peripleo, Pelagios Commons
A community of gazetteers of historical places that are searchable through the Peripleo search interface.
NGA GEOnet Names Server (GNS)
Useful primariliy for foreign geographies. Provides lattitude, longitude, and military grid reference system (MGRS) coordinates.
GEBSCO Undersea Feature Names Gazetteer
A digital gazetteer of the sea floor with data "available in a number of formats including spreadsheet, shapefile, KML, WMS and ArcGIS layer and can be accessed as a REST-style API." From the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO).
Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature
A digital gazetteer of planetary and satellite surface features. Includes downloadable images and data. From the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN).
mapFAST, OCLC
Not actually a gazetteer, but useful when looking for books. Identifies nearby, broader, and narrower geographic subject headings.
FAST Linked Data, OCLC
Not actually a gazetteer, but useful when looking for books. Identifies nearby, related, broader and narrower subject headings (geographic, event, and corporate).

Gazetteers at Your Library

To find additional gazetteers, try these strategies using Primo's advanced search.

For a shorter list of results: Run a subject search for gazetteers
For a longer list of results: Run a subject search for names geographical
For a long list of results: (1) Run a search for gazetteer* (with the asterisk to find gazetteer and gazetteers), (2) in the left column, click on Resource Type and (3) exclude articles, reviews, and newspaper articles.

The Columbia Gazetteer of the World by Saul Cohen (Editor) With over 170,000 entries, the Columbia Gazetteer of the World is an authoritative A to Z encyclopedia of geographical places and features. Whether you're looking for the ten highest mountain peaks in North America, the major commercial crops in Brazil's economy, all the rivers in Southeast Asia, the former name of the city of Yangon, or the natural resources available in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Gazetteer is the one-stop resource for all your information needs. First published in 1998, the Gazetteer now features new entries and extensive revisions to reflect recent administrative divisions in countries around the world. It also contains new maps, population figures, and an expanded glossary of geographical and geological terms. With its long history of accuracy and authority, there is no other encyclopedia like Gazetteer. The Columbia Gazetteer covers: * The political world-countries, provinces, regions, states, counties, capitals, cities, towns, villages, and neighborhoods. * The physical world-continents, oceans, seas, lakes, lagoons, rivers, bays, inlets, channels, and streams, along with islands, archipelagos, peninsulas, atolls, mountains, mountain ranges, canyons, deserts, valleys, and volcanoes. * And special places-national parks and monuments, historic and archaeological sites, harbors, ports, airports, nuclear plants, canals, and destinations of interest.
ISBN: 9780231145541
Publication Date: 2008
The Columbia Gazetteer of North America by Saul B. Cohen (Editor); Saul Cohen (Editor) Based on the celebrated three-volume Columbia Gazetteer of the World, this volume offers 50,000 entries on places in North America, arranged in alphabetical order. Designed for ease of use and maximum access to the widest amount of information, the Columbia Gazetteer of North America is a core reference work for any library, public or private, governmental or educational. Whether it is an entry of a few lines on China, Texas, or hundreds of lines on New York City, the entries are packed with information, such as: ? descriptions of physical geography ? political boundaries ? historical, political, cultural, and economic descriptions ? natural, agricultural, and other resources ? principal trade, business, and industrial activities ? highways, railroads, canals, and pipelines ? points of interest ? population from the most recent national censuses ? latitude, longitude, and elevation ? official place-names ? changed or variant names and spellings ? pronunciations ? and much more.
ISBN: 0231119909
Publication Date: 2000
Historical Gazetteer of the United States by Paul T. Hellmann The first place-by-place chronology of U.S. history, this book offers the student, researcher, or traveller a handy guide to find all the most important events that have occurred at any locality in the United States.
ISBN: 0415939488
Publication Date: 2004

Geography

According to the Royal Geographical Society, geography is "the study of Earth’s landscapes, peoples, places and environments."

A Dictionary of Geography by Susan Mayhew With more than 6,400 entries on all aspects of human and physical geography, the latest edition of the classic Dictionary of Geography provides up-to-date coverage of a field as wide as the world itself. It ranges across cartography, surveying, meteorology, climatology, ecology, population, industry, and development, and comprehensively treats fast-changing topics such as plate tectonics, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and aerial differentiation. Readers will find entries on economic geography, recent developments in geopolitics, and the geography of finance as well as entries related to globalization and the anti-globalization movement, landscape restoration, the digital divide, and issues of governance. Feature panels offer in-depth information on such key areas as the history of geography, demographic transition, and central place theory. The Factfinder appendix, which provides key economic and population statistics for nearly forty countries, has been brought fully up to date. This edition also recommends web links that can be found on the regularly updated Dictionary of Geography companion website.
Call Number: G63 .M39 2009 (Reference Collection)
The SAGE Handbook of Geographical Knowledge by John Agnew (Editor); David N. Livingstone (Editor) A refreshingly innovative approach to charting geographical knowledge. A wide range of authors trace the social construction and contestation of geographical ideas through the sites of their production and their relational geographies of engagement. This creative and comprehensive book offers an extremely valuable tool to professionals and students alike. - Victoria Lawson, University of Washington "A Handbook that recasts geograph′s history in original, thought-provoking ways. Eschewing the usual chronological march through leading figures and big ideas, it looks at geography against the backdrop of the places and institutional contexts where it has been produced, and the social-cum-intellectual currents underlying some of its most important concepts." - Alexander B. Murphy, University of Oregon The SAGE Handbook of Geographical Knowledge is a critical inquiry into how geography as a field of knowledge has been produced, re-produced, and re-imagined. It comprises three sections on geographical orientations, geography′s venues, and critical geographical concepts and controversies. The first provides an overview of the genealogy of "geography". The second highlights the types of spatial settings and locations in which geographical knowledge has been produced. The third focuses on venues of primary importance in the historical geography of geographical thought. Orientations includes chapters on: Geography - the Genealogy of a Term; Geography′s Narratives and Intellectual History Geography′s Venues includes chapters on: Field; Laboratory; Observatory; Archive; Centre of Calculation; Mission Station; Battlefield; Museum; Public Sphere; Subaltern Space; Financial Space; Art Studio; Botanical/Zoological Gardens; Learned Societies Critical concepts and controversies - includes chapters on: Environmental Determinism; Region; Place; Nature and Culture; Development; Conservation; Geopolitics; Landscape; Time; Cycle of Erosion; Time; Gender; Race/Ethnicity; Social Class; Spatial Analysis; Glaciation; Ice Ages; Map; Climate Change; Urban/Rural. Comprehensive without claiming to be encyclopedic, textured and nuanced, this Handbook will be a key resource for all researchers with an interest in the pasts, presents and futures of geography.
ISBN: 9781412910811
Publication Date: 2011
Companion Encyclopedia of Geography by Ian Douglas (Editor); Richard Huggett (Editor); Chris Perkins (Editor) This revised edition takes the theme of place as the unifying principle for a full account of the discipline at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The work comprises 64 substantial essays addressing human and physical geography, and exploring their inter-relations. The encyclopedia does full justice to the enormous growth of social and cultural geography in recent years. Leading international academics from ten countries and four continents have contributed, ensuring that differing traditions in geography around the world are represented. In addition to references, the essays also have recommendations for further reading. As with the original work, the new Companion Encyclopedia of Geography provides a state-of-the-art survey of the discipline and is an indispensable addition to the reference shelves of libraries supporting research and teaching in geography.
ISBN: 0415431697
Publication Date: 2006

Spatial Analysis

Critical Race Spatial Analysis by Deb Morrison (Editor); Subini Ancy Annamma (Editor); Darrell D. Jackson (Editor) How does space illuminate educational inequity? Where and how can spatial analysis be used to disrupt educational inequity? Which tools are most appropriate for the spatial analysis of educational equity? This book addresses these questions and explores the use of critical spatial analysis to uncover the dimensions of entrenched and systemic racial inequities in educational settings and identify ways to redress them. The contributors to this book - some of whom are pioneering scholars of critical race spatial analysis theory and methodology - demonstrate the application of the theory and tools applied to specific locales, and in doing so illustrate how this spatial and temporal lens enriches traditional approaches to research. The opening macro-theoretical chapter lays the foundation for the book, rooting spatial analyses in critical commitments to studying injustice. Among the innovative methodological chapters included in this book is the re-conceptualization of mapping and space beyond the simple exploration of external spaces to considering internal geographies, highlighting how the privileged may differ in socio-spatial thinking from oppressed communities and what may be learned from both perspectives; data representations that allow the construction of varied narratives based on differences in positionality and historicity of perspectives; the application of redlining to the analysis of classroom interactions; the use of historical archives to uncover the process of marginalization; and the application of techniques such as the fotonovelaand GIS to identify how spaces are defined and can be reimagined. The book demonstrates the analytical and communicative power of mapping and its potential for identifying and dismantling racial injustice in education. The editors conclude by drawing connections across sections, and elucidating the tensions and possibilities for future research. Contributors Benjamin Blaisdell Graham S. Garlick Leigh Anna Hidalgo Mark C. Hogrebe Joshua Radinsky Daniel G. Solórzano William F. Tate Verónica N. Vélez Federico R. Waitoller
ISBN: 9781620364246
Publication Date: 2017
The SAGE Handbook of Spatial Analysis by A. Stewart Fotheringham (Editor); Peter A. Rogerson (Editor) The widespread use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) has significantly increased the demand for knowledge about spatial analytical techniques across a range of disciplines. As growing numbers of researchers realise they are dealing with spatial data, the demand for specialised statistical and mathematical methods designed to deal with spatial data is undergoing a rapid increase. Responding to this demand, The Handbook of Spatial Analysis is a comprehensive and authoritative discussion of issues and techniques in the field of Spatial Data Analysis. Its principal focus is on: * why the analysis of spatial data needs separate treatment * the main areas of spatial analysis * the key debates within spatial analysis * examples of the application of various spatial analytical techniques * problems in spatial analysis * areas for future research Aimed at an international audience of academics, The Handbook of Spatial Analysis will also prove essential to graduate level students and researchers in government agencies and the private sector.
ISBN: 9781412910828
Publication Date: 2009
Geographic Information Analysis, 2nd Edition by David O'Sullivan; David Unwin Clear, up-to-date coverage of methods for analyzing geographical information in a GIS context Geographic Information Analysis, Second Edition is fully updated to keep pace with the most recent developments of spatial analysis in a geographic information systems (GIS) environment. Still focusing on the universal aspects of this science, this revised edition includes new coverage on geovisualization and mapping as well as recent developments using local statistics. Building on the fundamentals, this book explores such key concepts as spatial processes, point patterns, and autocorrelation in area data, as well as in continuous fields. Also addressed are methods for combining maps and performing computationally intensive analysis. New chapters tackle mapping, geovisualization, and local statistics, including the Moran Scatterplot and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR). An appendix provides a primer on linear algebra using matrices. Complete with chapter objectives, summaries, "thought exercises," explanatory diagrams, and a chapter-by-chapter bibliography, Geographic Information Analysis is a practical book for students, as well as a valuable resource for researchers and professionals in the industry.
ISBN: 9780470288573
Publication Date: 2014

Census

Encyclopedia of the U. S. Census by Constance F. Citro (Editor); Margo J. Anderson (Editor); Joseph J. Salvo (Editor) The Encyclopedia of the U.S. Census, Second Edition updates and expands a critically-acclaimed resource for the history, politics, content, procedures and uses of the decennial census of the American population. The new edition highlights changes in the Census Bureau′s data collection and dissemination practices for the 2010 enumeration, including the use of a short-form questionnaire for the actual population count, and the release in late 2010 of the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data set based on rolling samples of the U.S. population and gathered using the long-form questionnaire. The Second Edition also comprehensively covers the fallout from the 2000 census and recent issues affecting the administration of the 2010 count. Click here for a comprehensive guide to the American Community Survey.
ISBN: 9781608710256
Publication Date: 2011
American FactFinder Glossary (online)
Census Glossary (online)

Cartography

GIS Cartography by Gretchen N. Peterson In the five years since the publication of the first edition of A Guide to Effective Map Design, cartography and software have become further intertwined. However, the initial motivation for publishing the first edition is still valid: many GISers enter the field without so much as one hour of design instruction in their formal education. Yet they are then tasked with creating one the most effective, easily recognized communication tools: a map. See What's New in the Second Edition Projection theory Hexagonal binning Big Data point density maps Scale dependent map design 3D building modeling Digital cartography and its best practices Updated graphics and references Study questions and lab exercises at the end of each chapter In this second edition of a bestseller, author Gretchen Peterson takes a "don't let the technology get in the way" approach to the presentation, focusing on the elements of good design, what makes a good map, and how to get there, rather than specific software tools. She provides a reference that you can thumb through time and again as you create your maps. Copiously illustrated, the second edition explores novel concepts that kick-start your pursuit of map-making excellence. The book doesn't just teach you how to design and create maps, it teaches you how to design and create better maps.
ISBN: 9781482220674
Publication Date: 2014
How to Lie with Maps by Mark Monmonier
Call Number: G108.7 .M66 2018 (General Collection)
ISBN: 9780226435923
Making Maps, Third Edition by John Krygier; Denis Wood Lauded for its accessibility and beautiful design, this text has given thousands of students and professionals the tools to create effective, compelling maps. Using a wealth of illustrations--with 74 in full color--to elucidate each concisely presented point, the revised and updated third edition continues to emphasize how design choices relate to the reasons for making a map and its intended purpose. All components of map making are covered: titles, labels, legends, visual hierarchy, font selection, how to turn phenomena into visual data, data organization, symbolization, and more. Innovative pedagogical features include a short graphic novella, good design/poor design map examples, end-of-chapter suggestions for further reading, and an annotated map examplar that runs throughout the book. New to This Edition *Expanded coverage of using mobile digital devices to collect data for maps, including discussions of location services and locational privacy. *New and revised topics: how to do sketch maps, how map categories and symbols have changed over time, designing maps on desktop computers and mobile devices, human perception and color, and more. *Separate, expanded chapter on map symbol abstraction. *Additional case studies of compelling phenomena such as children's traffic fatalities based on race, the spread of tropical diseases, and the 2012 presidential election. *Many additional color illustrations.
Call Number: GA105.3 .K79 2016
ISBN: 9781462509980
Publication Date: 2016