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Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

This guide gives a basic overview of GIS and the resources available at the Texas State University Libraries.

Software

Esri's ArcGIS product suite is the most commonly used GIS software package in the US and many other English-speaking countries. It contains the following software products:

  • ArcGIS Pro - a desktop, Windows-based GIS software with powerful analytical and visualization capabilities
  • ArcGIS Online - an online-based cloud storage and data sharing platform
  • ArcGIS Story Maps - for creating narrative-based storytelling with maps
  • ArcGIS Experience Builder - a no-code, drag-and-drop GIS web application building tool
  • And much more!

Anyone with an active Texas State NetID has access to these products above. For more information on logging into ArcGIS Online and downloading ArcGIS Pro, visit this ITAC guide. 

This is an industry-leading, fully capable remote sensing platform specially designed for working with imagery.

QGIS is the most popular open-source GIS platform in the world (and perhaps the most popular piece of GIS software every). It presents a strong alternative to Esri's ArcGIS and despite its similarities, it is more plugin-based, allowing for third-party developers to easily write custom add-ons to meet their specific needs.

Other less common but free to download geospatial software packages include: 

  • GRASS GIS - a powerful, open-source GIS tailored for complex, specialized spatial modeling and raster applications. It has a steep learning curve, but many of its tools and functionalities are available in QGIS through a plugin. 
  • SAGA GIS - an open-source GIS with many geoscientific functionalities and algorithms. Like GRASS, it has a steep learning curve but has integration with both QGIS and R. 
  • GeoDa - a lightweight GIS for spatial statistical analysis and geovisualization. Contains some unique spatial statistical tools not available in ArcGIS. 
  • CrimeStat - developed by the USDOJ, this GIS was developed specifically for the analysis of crime incident locations. Like GeoDa, it contains various spatial statistical tools not available in ArcGIS. 

If you are interested in resources for the software packages above, request a consultation so that we can help you find what you need.