A New World for MappingJohn Spencer

Spatial Analysis UnitOctober 5, 2009

Everything happens somewhere

Wish you were

here!!!

Data

Where?

Why?

ESRI is the market leader

Three shelves of ESRI manuals and third party materials

Two types of software:

Geo-display

Geographic Information System

Geo-displayDisplays data geographically

Suitable for basic maps

E2GMEASURE Evaluation’s program for mapping Excel data

E2G

• Displays excel data• Free• Easy to use• Maps can be easily

shared

• Not every country is available

• Requires internet connection• Data structure requirements

Dev-InfoUN Millenium Development Goals based software

Dev-InfoAdvantages• Free• Own web site, documentation,

and online support group. • Ability to map and graph data

and save files to several common formats.

• Ability to adapt to use with other databases and shapefiles (map boundary files) with many input and output formats allowed.

• Available in 6 different languages.

Dev-Info

Disadvantages• Developed specifically to

work with UNICEF’s data formats and conform to their “Millenium Development Goals”.

• Difficult learning curve when it comes to customizing with own data.

• Limited capablilty to import from other formats.

GISAnalyzes data in layers

Suitable for basic or advanced maps, spatial analysis

HealthmapperFree mapping program from World Health Organization

Healthmapper

Advantages• Can perform some GIS

functions• simple geographic

data analysis and display.

• Free • Wide user base• Good documentation

Healthmapper

Disadvantages• Limited control of

types of data classification and editing of shapefiles

• Moderate learning curve.

• Limited output formats for both maps and graphs

DIVA GISOpen source GIS program

Diva GIS

Advantages• Free• Common input types

(shapefile, text file, dBase, MS Access) allowed.

• Some flexibility as to color selection and number of classes for data.

Diva GISDisadvantages• Clunky interface• Moderate learning curve. • Output is a bitmapped image. • Label placement and other

map element placement extremely limited.

• Must have own map files or coordinate files already linked to data.

• Only one method of data classification (quartiles) available.

Arc-GIS Diva-GIS E2G Dev-Info Healthmapper

Ease of Use

GIS Capacity

½

Easy to Import Data

Cost $$$ Free Free Free Free

Publication Quality Maps

½

Comparison Chart

Summary

• Many new options• Best option is

dependent on goals• Possible to experiment

and use multiple programs, if needed

ArcGIS www.esri.com

DIVA-GISwww.diva-gis.org

E2G www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/e2g

Dev-Info www.devinfo.org

Health mapperwww.who.int/health_mapping/tools/healthmapper/en/index.html