2026 Learning Objects

GIS Mapping 101: An Open Source Reference Guide

Davaajav, Saka

This five-page guide introduces open source GIS tools and concepts to students and researchers who are new to spatial analysis. It covers QGIS, Python geospatial libraries, OpenStreetMap, spatial data types, common file formats, and data quality principles. A practical example demonstrates a real-world geospatial application using publicly available data. Produced through the Columbia University Libraries Pedagogy Internship, 2025–2026.

Keywords: GIS, QGIS, open source, geospatial, spatial analysis, cartography, open educational resource