Experts are available to consult with researchers on finding, preparing, creating, and/or analyzing geospatial data.
Geospatial Data
Eligibility information is outlined below based on providers with offerings that are available to the entire Harvard community or a specific unit/appointment.
University-wide
Harvard Map Collection
Harvard Geospatial Library
Search and download regional and local geographical data and georeferenced scanned paper maps.
Data sets are available provided by around the world at various scales, provided by global to local. Each data set is delivered with complete metadata, making it easier to add to a GIS (geographic information system) and compare to other data sets about the same place.
Data Creation
Support with efficiently and accurately transforming paper maps into infomatiovev visualizations and actionable geospatial digital data through georeferencing and vectorization.
Data Support
Consultation, instruction of analog geospatial materials (paper maps) and geoenabled standard tabular data for use in a variety of digital applications, including GIS analysis. We will teach you to geoenable standard tabular data through address matching or joining tables to geoographies based on common fields.
Support ranges from analysis planning to defining the most appropriate tool to visualizing the output using a number of the most common spatial tools, including ArcGIS, QGIS, Google Earth, and Tableau
Audience
All Harvard Affiliates
Service Provider
Harvard Map Collection
Service Fee
None
Service Website
https://library.harvard.edu/services-tools/digital-mapping-and-gis-support
Contact Information
Center for Geographic Analysis
For a typical Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis or mapping project, Center for Geographic Analyis (CGA) staff meets with researchers to define their project requirements and the scope of work needed to achieve those requirements. For extended research tasks, work will be defined with a Project Specification. Based on the agreed upon Project Specification, CGA staff will make use of data provided by the researcher, or find sources for the base data needed, and undertake the data gathering, processing, analyzing, mapping or platform development tasks for the project. Finally, CGA will deliver the results in specified formats along with technical documentation.
The Center for Geographic Analysis can help:
- Convert data from different formats
- Work with data in different projections
- Link spatial data totabular data
- Merge or disaggregate spatial datasets
Create or Edit Data
- Add and edit points, lines or polygons
- Edit table attributes
- Create and calculate new fields
- Geocode addresses or street intersections
Analyze Spatial Data
- Use overlay or proximity analysis tools
- Perform geostatistical analysis
- Perform network analysis
- Process imagery or raster data
Present Data
- Set symbology and display parameters
- Create effective maps
- Render surface or 3D data
- Printing and plotting
Audience
All Harvard Affiliates
Service Provider
Center for Geographic Analyis (CGA)
Service Fee
CGA provides GIS services with a flat fee of $85/hr for Harvard affiliates. Payment must be from a Harvard account (33-digit code) or a personal account of a valid Harvard ID holder.
Work paid for by external funding sources are $170/hr.
Harvard users with insufficient funding, especially first time users of CGA services, are encouraged to discuss possible discounts with CGA.
Service Website
Center for Geographic Analysis
Contact Information
Unit/Appointment-specific
Harvard Kennedy School
Consultations and/or instruction associated with all types of data analysis, including qualitative, quantitative, and text analysis and education on software for that purpose such as ArcGIS, PolicyMap, Social Explorere, R, nVivo, Stata, Tableau, and OpenRefine.
Audience
- School Faculty
- Graduate School Fellows
- School Graduate Students
- School Affiliates
Service Provider
Harvard Kennedy School Library
Service Fee
None
Service Website
https://guides.library.harvard.edu/hks/data_resources
Contact Information
Harvard Law School
Data Analysis & Visualization
Full services for faculty and consultation for students for Geospatial analysis and visualization using ArcGIS.
Audience
School Faculty (HLS)
Service Provider
Harvard Law School Library
Service Fee
None
Service Website
http://asklib.law.harvard.edu/
Contact Information
- Arevik Avedian (HLS): aavedian@law.harvard.edu
- Michelle Pearse (HLS): mpearse@law.harvard.edu