Structuring Data for ArcGIS Online
In this tutorial we’ll explore another way of working with data in ArcGIS Online that will involve both importing data and creating data right in the web interface. For this exercise we will use data from page 251 of Tatiana Seijas's study on enslaved Asians in colonial Mexico. We will use a spreadsheet based on Seijas’s work to create a new point data layer and then import that spreadsheet and join it to the points layer. This will allow us to visualize the volume of slaves from the different origin locations that Seijas identifies.
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To begin, navigate to https://www.arcgis.com/ and login to your UCSC-affiliated account. Again, if you have trouble setting up this account or logging in, get in touch with your instructor or the DSC for help.
When you’ve finished going through the whole Seijas spreadsheet, you should have a map with several pin icons placed around Asia. Now it’s time to import the spreadsheet and join it to our points layer. This will create a new layer that has data attached to points, which we can then visualize in more compelling ways.
You should have a new data layer in your map named “Chino Slaves Origins Data ([Your Last Name]).” You can uncheck the original “Chino Slaves Origins” layer so that you can focus on the new layer. Now let’s style that layer to reflect the data we have.
You should see your points displayed by size according to the number contained in the Slaves column.
Remember, you can always select a different basemap if you think another option would make your data more legible. Here I’ve selected Light Gray Canvas.
When you've finished your map, you can share it in a couple different ways.
You may also notice the option to Create a Web App from your map. We won't be discussing that option here, but the next tutorial will deal with one of those apps—StoryMaps.
The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.
The land acknowledgement used at UC Santa Cruz was developed in partnership with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chairman and the Amah Mutsun Relearning Program at the UCSC Arboretum.