Marnie’s tips for thinking through Visual Mapping:

SOCIAL EXPLORERWhen you use Social Explorer, you are mapping quantitative information. Before selecting your dataset, you should become familiar with the unit of analysis and spatial scale/boundaries for your mapping. Using visual data we often say as much by what we choose to map as by what we choose NOT to map.

Here are a few questions you might ask as you proceed with the mapping tool:

Make purposeful decisions: What does the data measure? What are the limitations of this data (e.g., what can’t the data explain?) What is the unit of spatial analysis (e.g., block, tract, city, county), and how does the selected unit of analysis change the display and interpretation of the data? How did you choose to display the data (e.g., parameters, small dot clusters, large dots, etc), and why did you choose to present the data with this option?

Interpret your data: Offer explanations for the data patterns and trends (e.g., how do you explain differences and similarities across different areas? How do you explain changes in the data over time? (if you choose to do two or more maps for time comparison). How do course readings offer questions or frameworks to interpret the data? Or how might the data present inconsistency with theory?)

HOW TO USE SOCIAL EXPLORER• Find Social Explorer under Hunter Library site.• Create your personal account before you start mapping - you won't be able to save maps

without doing so. A personal account is free and available as long as you are logging in via the Hunter College access link

• Read through the Mapping Help before you start - make sure you read about Creating and Saving a Slideshow, and exporting it to Powerpoint

• Be sure to NAME & SAVE your map/slideshow before you navigate away from the page! Again, you can only save if you are logged into your personal account (through the university)

• If you saved your slideshow, you can always open it again when you are logged in, using File - Open (the slideshow is saved online)

• When you export your slideshow to a Powerpoint, you may not be asked where to save the Powerpoint. On my Mac computer, it saves directly to the Downloads folder, so look for it there. Other Windows and Macs may have a different location.

Helpful slide posts via Karen Gregory (former ITF):

NOTE: you will want to zoom into your neighborhood! See following pages for “Honing your Map

Once you are ready to export your map, do so in PPT. You can then save the PPT maps as images to upload to your site’s Media File and add into a post for your portfolio. These maps may also be used in your final video project.