| Data come in various formats and will typically need to be processed, cleaned, and re-formatted for mapping. This page provides an overview of the typical steps in the data preparation process. |
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Click on the links below for additional technical resources. |
- Data assessment: Analyze the data quality and usability, including the margins of error and coefficients of variation, to determine if the data are appropriate to map.
- Data formatting: Re-format the data from its raw form (e.g., CSV file, Excel file, PDF, Word file) into a consistent spreadsheet format.
- Data cleaning: Review the data for errors and inconsistencies, eliminate outliers and inaccuracies as needed, and delete any extraneous data that are not relevant for mapping.
- Data processing: Process the raw data to create the data values that you will map. This may include combining multiple datasets into a single dataset or aggregating the data to a different geography.
- Geocoding: Organize the data in a format that is compatible with the GIS software you plan to use so that the software can accurately locate and map the information.