Frequently Asked Questions about Geographic Information Systems – Tidy Data: The Key to Success with Spatial Data – Tips on Data Structure


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Author(s): MEASURE Evaluation

Year: 2017

Frequently Asked Questions about Geographic Information Systems – Tidy Data: The Key to Success with Spatial Data – Tips on Data Structure Abstract:

Most work with geographic information systems (GIS) revolves around data. Before a single map is made, a considerable amount of work is usually necessary to make sure the data is mappable.

In the early days of GIS, the software’s handling of data was inflexible. Most programs would accept data in only a few narrowly specific file formats. For instance, they could not read data directly from spreadsheets. Modern GIS software can accommodate many more formats.

However, although GIS is more forgiving now with regard to different file formats, it still has strict requirements regarding the structure of data. No matter the file format, GIS software expects the data to conform to basic standards of tidy data.

This FAQ presents basic information on the concept of tidy data and how GIS rely on it. It is one in a series of FAQs on important topics that are relevant to GIS and spatial data. These FAQs are intended to provide brief answers to common questions and steer you to sources of more detailed information.

Filed under: Geographic Information Systems , GIS , Data