Data/Statistics/GIS Portal

Getting Started with Data/Statistics/GIS Research

Starting Point for Data/Statistics/GIS Research

Scope

Many U.S. and international agencies offer free access to data. Use databases to identify key data sources for your topic. Use the primary source of the data to get more detailed or historical data.

2018 Contest Winners!

It is with great pleasure that the Boston College Libraries announce the winners of the Ninth Annual Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Mapping Contest at Boston College:

The first place award of a $100 Amazon Gift Card went to:
Abolfazl Sotoudeh-Sherbaf, Sociology, graduate prize: "Iran's 2018 Protests: Spatial Diffusion, Socio-Economics, and Climate Change". Michaela Simoneau ‘18, International Studies, Biology/MCAS, undergraduate prize: "The Plight of the Rohingya Refugee: Assessing current and predicted health and sanitation challenges".

The second place award of a $50 Amazon Gift Card, went to:
Xinyi Zeng, Earth and Environmental Sciences, graduate prize: "Evaluating the Impact of Dams on Sediment Transport Pattern in the Main Stem of Parker River". Gabby Bouchard ‘18, Biology/MCAS, undergraduate prize: "Surveillance of Leading Chronic Diseases in Allston-Brighton".

The third place award of a $25 Amazon Gift Card went to:
Ruilin Chen, Sociology, graduate prize: "Who Gets What It takes to be "Culinary Omnivores"? A Spatial Analysis of Race and Cuisine Diversity based on Yelp Restaurants". Emily Janin '18 , Psychology/MCAS, undergraduate prize: "Limitation of Movement and Access to Health Sites in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, Palestine".

Awards were based on map quality, use of GIS as a research tool and originality. Special consideration was given to topics depicting social implications of the research such as environmental issues. The awards will be presented Wednesday, April 25th, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. in the O'Neill Lobby.

Past winning posters can be found in the university Institutional Repository, eScholarship@BC, under the category Juried Student Work. The entries of our newest winners will join this distinguished group.

For more information about GIS data and services at Boston College please contact: Barbara Mento, Data/GIS Librarian or visit our research guide, Finding Spatial Data for Mapping (GIS).

Special thanks to the contest judges:
Rudolph Hon, Associate Professor, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences ; Constantin Andronache, Research Associate, Research Services, ITS; Enid Karr, Science Librarian, Allison Xu, Data & Visualization Librarian and Barbara Mento, Data/GIS Librarian

Ninth Annual GIS Contest Information Flyer 2018

This year the Boston College Libraries will once again be recognizing outstanding work with Geographic Information Systems. The 9th Annual Boston College GIS Contest is an opportunity to showcase your GIS research and win Amazon gift certificates. Details below

Ninth GIS Contest Flyer 2018

Key Resources

ProQuest Statistical Insight Complete Collection
Index to local, national and international intergovernmental statistical publications from 1983 to the present. Includes citation information with large number of pdf or spreadsheet downloads available.
Data-Planet Statistical Datasets
Times series data in l tables and charts from multiple sources in a single interface, aggregating over 610 licensed and public domain datasets provided by over 55 sources, making 16 billion data points accessible within a single interface. Includes IMF data. Recommend IE browser.

Statista
Database of thousands of statistics on a wide range of topics, including media, the environment, business and industry, sports, communication, health care and more. Data can be exported to Excel and charts can be exported as picture files or directly into PowerPoint.

State Stats
State level data on health care, crime, education, employment, energy, government finances, social welfare, transportation and more. Links to sources
Statistical Abstract of the United States
Standard summary of statistics on the social, political and economic organization of the U.S. Includes data from governmental and private sources. Serves as a guide to other statistical sources.

American FactFinder
Includes 2000, 2010 Census data along with American Community Survey data back to 2005. Data for population, housing, income, economic and geographic data and mapping tool. Geographic level varies by data but most have shapes down to census tract level.
Historical Statistics of the U.S.
World Databank. World Bank
Includes World Development Indicators, Global Development Finance, Education Statistics, Health Nutrition and Population Statistics, Africa Development Indicators, Global Economic Monitor and Millennium Development Goals. Includes mapping and graphing tools.

ICPSR Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
ICPSR is an international data archive covering political science, sociology, demography, economics, history, education, gerontology, criminal justice, public health, foreign policy, and law.

WRDS Wharton Research Data Services
Data.gov
Catalog of open access government data, filters by agency, topic, format, geography.
Data/Statistics databases list
BC Data/GIS & Spatial Collection
B.C. collection of key subscription data sets with download links in multiple formats.
Enter search terms and select Material Type data.

Data Citation Index
Search for quality research data from repositories across disciplines and around the world.

Data USA
Free data and data visualization. These visualizations may be especially helpful to policy makers and grant writers.

Find News Articles

Nexis Uni
Nexis Uni (formerly LexisNexis Academic) includes thousands of U.S. and non-U.S. news sources; legal materials including case law, statutes and law reviews; and company/business information. Nexis Uni replaces Lexis-Nexis Academic.

New Resources

Social Explorer
Social Explorer is a research tool designed to provide quick and easy access to historical census data and demographic information. It creates maps and reports to help users visually analyze and understand demography and social change throughout history. Currently includes the entire US Census history from 1790 to 2000, all annual updates from the American Community Survey. Users can customize, save, print, and email maps and reports and export them to a variety of programs and statistical packages for further analysis and use in reports and presentations.
PolicyMap
PolicyMap is a “GIS tool for non-GIS users." PolicyMap is used as a data visualization tool in the social sciences, urban studies and planning, real estate and housing analysis, community and economic development, public administration and policy, public health, political science, education, environmental studies, business and finance, economics, statistics and geography, among other areas. Downloadable data.

Trial Databases
Check out databases on trial at BC. Includes many different subject areas.