Geographic Information Sysytem (GIS) consulting is available in Gelman Library. Schedule an appointment with our GIS specialist for assistance with:
Although we have some physical copies of technical books, our best and most up-to-date resources are all electronic.
Students and faculty at GW have access to a variety of software packages for working with data, including statistical packages (e.g. SPSS and STATA), computational environments (e.g. MATLAB) and GIS tools (e.g. ArcGIS). Programming, software development, and quantitative reasoning support via consultations and tutoring are available to GW students and faculty as well.
Software Resources:
Software and Data Consultation Resources:
GW Libraries does not currently license qualitative data analysis software; however, there are options available for students and faculty.
Open Source, Free Analysis Tools:
Fee-based Analysis Tools:
These tools (some free, others subscription-based) are useful for developing data visualizations or analyzing data. Most of these sites have demos or help guides to assist you in learning the tools.
Datastream Tutorials
Excel Tutorials
QGIS Tutorials
R & RStudio, Python, and Shell Tutorials
SPSS Tutorials
Stata Tutorials
Stat/Transfer Tutorials
Many different software options exist for cleaning and analyzing different types of data. A few we support are listed in the table below.
| Software | Supported Data | Time to Learn the Basics | Useful For | Weaknesses | Interface | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excel |
Numbers Short Text |
A few minutes |
Small datasets Basic calculations Basic analysis Basic visualizations |
Difficult to reproduce analysis Limited number of rows and columns Limited functionalities Missing or null values may be handled incorrectly or inconsistently |
GUI |
Campus Labs |
| Python |
Numbers Text Geospatial Images Audio Recordings |
A few hours |
Parallel processing Image processing Software development Interfacing with JSON APIs Dynamic visualizations Coding Text |
Not memory efficient Challenges accessing external databases Weak for mobile computing Runtime errors No Section 508 information available for accessibility |
command line integrated development environment |
|
| R |
Numbers Text Geospatial Images Audio Recordings |
A few days or weeks |
Data wrangling Complex math Statistical and geospatial analysis Machine learning Custom visualizations Coding Text |
Steep learning curve Quality of packages varies No standard help resources Poor memory management No Section 508 information available for accessibility |
command line integrated development environment |
Campus Labs |
| SAS |
Numbers Short Text Geospatial |
A few hours |
Data cleaning Identifying patterns Interfacing with databases Statistical analysis Descriptive visualizations |
Limited advanced graphics More of a procedural language Premium packages and plugins Individual licenses can be expensive |
command line GUI |
Campus Labs |
| SPSS |
Numbers Short Text Geospatial
|
A few hours |
Data cleaning Historic file formats Statistical analysis Descriptive statistics Functional visualizations |
Complex and large datasets Limited data management tools Limited customization opportunities Individual license can be expensive |
syntax window GUI |
Campus Labs |
| Stata |
Numbers Short Text |
A few hours |
Data cleaning Complex data management Complex math Statistical analysis
|
Limited data file formats Cannot program new functions Individual license can be expensive |
command line GUI |
Campus Labs |
| QGIS | Geospatial | A few hours or days |
Making maps Geospatial analysis Summarize geospatial data Site selection |
Quality of packages varies Difficult to reproduce analyses Mapping and labeling interface is a bit tricky to use |
GUI |
Campus Labs |
| ArcGIS | Geospatial | A few hours or days |
Making maps Geospatial analysis Summarize geospatial data Site selection |
Crashes, somewhat often User interface somewhat difficult to navigate Premium subscription required to access all features Individual licenses can be expensive |
GUI |
Campus Labs |
| NVivo |
Text Emails Images Audio Recordings Surveys Videos Social Media |
A few hours or days |
Most file types Automated data visualizations Advanced functionalities Weighting codes Multiple languages |
Interface may not feel intuitive Crashing may be a concern for large projects Individual licenses can be expensive |
GUI |
Campus Labs |
| atlas.ti |
Text Emails Images Audio Recordings Surveys Videos Social Media |
A few hours |
Exporting to statistical analysis software Making maps of qualitative data Performing manual operations Multiple languages |
Non-hierarchical coding, by default Limited advanced functionalities Basic visualizations |
GUI |
Campus Labs |
