LibGuides: Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Web Mapping

Web Mapping Platforms

Do you need to create your own interactive web maps, that can ether stand-alone or be embedded in a website? Do you want to create a multimedia map-themed website? Consider the options below.

To access ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS StoryMaps, you can either create a free public account that provides access to basic features, or use Brown's site license to access a fuller range of options (login would be the same one used for accessing ArcGIS Pro - see the Software page in this guide for details). See this documentation for a comparison of the public versus the licensed account for StoryMaps.

ArcGIS Online
ESRI's cloud-based mapping platform for creating interactive web maps. Use it to create interactive maps that will stand alone or be embedded in a website.
ArcGIS StoryMaps
Create map-themed multimedia websites that combine text, images, audio, video, and interactive map widgets for telling particular stories. GIS expertise is not required, but may be helpful depending on your project. Maps from ArcGIS Online can be embedded within StoryMaps.
Creating and Editing StoryMap Content
A good summary of the different StoryMap content blocks and widgets.
Getting Started with ArcGIS StoryMaps
A nice introductory tutorial, written as a StoryMap.
Introduction to ArcGIS StoryMaps
A short tutorial written for workshops at the Brown University Library.
Knight Lab Storytelling Projects
From Northwestern University, a free alternative for creating map and data-centric widgets that you can embed in websites for telling stories. Coding and GIS expertise not required.

Library Mapping Databases

Use these out-of-the-box library databases to easily create maps, extract data, and perform basic analyses. These platforms allow you to create maps that you can embed in other websites, and to export maps out as static images.

PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
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A data and mapping application that provides access to over 15,000 indicators from public and proprietary sources related to housing, crime, mortgages, health, jobs, demographics and education. Data are available for many geographies (address, block group, census tract, zip code, county, city, state, MSA). Access data in interactive maps, tables, charts, reports and through a unique analytic tool. You can share your data and interactive maps with others.
Current; Policymap is an online data and mapping application that gives access to over 15,000 indicators related to housing, crime, mortgages, health, jobs, demographics and education. Data are available at all common geographies (address, block group, census tract, zip code, county, city, state, MSA) as well as unique geographies like school districts and political boundaries. Data come from both public and proprietary sources. Many of the public files are available for download. Through PolicyMap, you can access all data in interactive maps, tables, charts, reports and through a unique analytic tool. You may also upload your own address level data and share your data and interactive maps with others.Tutorials.
Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
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An interactive web-mapping database that provides US census data from the first census in 1790 to the present using common census geography. Create and customize interactive maps that can be downloaded or shared. Beyond the census, there is additional data on elections, pollution, and crime, and separate modules for Canada and the UK.
Social Explorer helps visual analysis and understanding of the demography of the U.S. through the use of interactive maps and data reports. Primary functions include Demographic Data Analysis, Interactive Map/Report Design and Software Development. The main goal is to visually display the demographic change that has occurred in the U.S. since 1790 through the-present, for the country over all down to the level of the county. For more recent years, users can display areas as small as a neighborhood. Certain cities may even be displayed as far back as 1910. Toward this end, Social Explorer contains a collection of interactive demographic maps that can be viewed, queried and manipulated on the site.
SimplyAnalytics (Formerly SimplyMap) This link opens in a new window
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An online data exploration and mapping tool that incorporates access to many different datasets, particularly from the US census. Maps, charts, and tables can exported to various graphic formats. For first time users, please register with SimplyAnalytics using your Brown email address and do so while you are connected to the internet via Brown University's network.
SimplyAnalytics is an online data exploration and mapping tool that incorporates access to many different data sets including data from the US Census. Spatial data can be exported to ESRI Shapefile format. Tabular data can be exported in multiple formats for use with Microsoft Excel or other statistical analysis programs and maps and other visualization outputs can be exported to various graphic formats for including in reports and papers.
For first time users, please register with SimplyAnalytics using your Brown email address and do so while you are connected to the internet via Brown University's network.