Digital Scholarship & Digital Humanities

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are specialized software that combine geographical data with various types of information to analyze, visualize, and interpret spatial relationships on a digital map. What makes geospatial analysis significant isn't only the location itself - it's the events, objects, ideas, phenomena, and change centered on that location that allow for a dynamic map.

Geospatial humanities is the use of mapping and geospatial technologies for social, cultural, and historical inquiry. In digital scholarship and digital humanities, mapping is used to tell stories and contextualize data in ways that enhance traditional cartography.

There are many different GIS tools that help you build digital maps. The one you choose will be determined by several factors, including the type of project you want to build, your level of technical expertise, and what customizations you want to include in your map.

University Access

To use these tools, you will need to request access through the University.

ArcGIS Pro is one of the most popular commercial GIS applications available. It is a full-featured and highly customizable tool that allows you to visualize, analyze, and annotate geospatial data. ArcGIS Pro can only be used on Windows systems.

• Free, unaffiliated accounts are also available for several ArcGIS tools. Capabilities are more limited, but may still meet your needs.

Humap is a mapping platform built specifically for humanities collections and story-based projects, on which you can build an interactive map that showcases digital collections. UM users can request access by emailing jaclemon@olemiss.edu.

Free or Open-Source:

QGIS is a free, open-source, full-featured GIS software that allows users to build comprehensive maps. QGIS is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

ArcGIS StoryMaps: "A story authoring web-based application that allows you to share your maps in the context of narrative text and other multimedia content." (Esri)

Clio: "An educational website and mobile application that guides the public to thousands of historical and cultural sites throughout the United States along with nature trails, art walking tours, and virtual tours of museums and sites." Build your own experience to share with the public!

HistoryPin is a digital archive for users to create and share stories about their local communities.

KnightLab StoryMap is an interactive map and storytelling platform developed by a team at Northwestern University aimed at advancing news media innovation.

Leaflet is an open-source Java Script library for mobile-friendly interactive maps. Leaflet can be used on its own or in conjunction with other open-source tools like QGIS.

Customization Levels: 

• Little to no customization tools follow preset templates with few options to customize appearance. Users are able to personalize data, content, and occasionally color but cannot customize the map's structure or user interactions.
• Limited customization tools have a greater level of flexibility than "little to no customization," but are still built off of preset templates. With these, users can build more complex maps and website appearances within the platform's structures.
• Full customization tools allow the user to customize nearly every aspect of their map, including but not limited to appearance, content, and user experience.

Beginner Friendly: Tools marked "beginner friendly" are defined as platforms where a user builds their map from preset templates. These are "plug and play" interfaces that do not require advanced software or programming knowledge to use.

• Tools that are not checked "Beginner Friendly" are more advanced, requiring additional skills or knowledge specific to each tool. Resources to learn these skills are available on each tool's website. Additional help can be requested through Scholar Support and Data Services (ssds@olemiss.edu).

The following are GIS-specific datasets. For generalized data sources that might have GIS data, check this guide's Resources page.

MARIS: Mississippi Automated Resource Information System; provides free Mississippi GIS data.

Mississippi GIS: The state of Mississippi's GIS website, which includes data.

Sanborn Maps, Library of Congress: "The Sanborn map collection consists of a uniform series of large-scale maps, dating from 1867 to the present and depicting the commercial, industrial, and residential sections of some twelve thousand cities and towns in the United States, Canada, and Mexico." (LoC)

Social Explorer: Online research tool designed to provide quick and easy access to modern and historical census data and demographic information.

United States Census Mapping Files: GIS files containing census data and historical United States map boundaries.