Jennifer LaFleur from ProPublica explains how you can use mapping software to make sense of your data.
You often don’t get data that contains latitude and longitude, so you can either use mapping software or an online geocoder to add coordinates to your data.
Batchmap
Go to www.batchgeocode.com. If you paste your data into the first box it will give you several different output options – text data for use in any map, a .kml file to use with Google maps or it will even create a map on batchgeocode.
Select an excel spreadsheet with the data you want to map.
Highlight the table and past it into the first box on batchgeocode.
Click ‘validate source’ to check the format of your data.
Fill in the fields on Step 4 – Batchgeocoder will recognise the field names ‘address’ and ‘city’
Then click ‘run geocoder’.
When it is done, you can cut and paste the data back into your spreadsheet to use in mapping software. You also can create a .kml file or make a map.
Google map
Logon to your Google account
Click on the ‘maps’ link.
Click on ‘my maps’.
Then click ‘create new map’.
Click ‘import’ and ‘browse’ navigate to the map you created in batchgeocode and click ‘upload from file’.
Give your map a title and description and save it. You should see your map pop into the window.
For more information, go to: code.google.com/apis/maps/index.html
Making quick online maps – Jennifer LaFleur, ProPublica – July 2009