GIS Data Acquisition and Map Design

This course will teach you how to locate GIS data and create maps that communicate your message. This section will focus on the basics of GIS data. It will explain the differences between different types of GIS files and what the consequences of using one over the other. Next we will discuss metadata, which is information about a dataset. This will help you to understand how to evaluate the data set before using it. Next, we'll discuss how to convert non-GIS data such as addresses into "mappable data" using geocoding. You'll also learn how to use data you find and create a map by using cartographic principles. You will create your own quantitative maps and find your data in the course project.