INTR 204/ENSP 249: ​Intro to GIS

Lab 2: Citizen Science Data Collection with GeoForms

OUTLINE
● Lab 2a:
Walkthrough……………..……………………………………………………………………….....……...pg
1
● Lab 2b: Ask Your Own Geographic
Question………………………….………………………….……..pg 15

TIME TO COMPLETE (Entire Lab): ​~ 1.5 - 2 hours

* Be sure to complete this lab at least 3-4 days early to allow time to collect responses on your
GeoForm and to contribute to your classmates GeoForms as well! *

Lab 2a: Walkthrough

GOALS

In this exercise, you will create a data layer and use it to build a “GeoForm”. A GeoForm is an
application template found on the ArcGIS Online platform that collects spatial and attribute data--
it’s like an online survey (e.g. Google Form) with a map. Our example collects data on how well
communities around the world use spatial technologies. Respondents identify their location and
rank their community from 1–5 based on how smart they think their community is in terms of
spatial technologies.
Before you begin, review the lab deliverables section at the end of this document. The lab
deliverables include the deliverables for both Part A and Part B of this lab!

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

• Working with GeoForms

• Creating a GIS layer using ArcGIS Online

Step 1: Explore a Crowdsourcing GeoApp

a) Open a new Internet browser tab or window.

b) Browse to
http://diygeoapps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/GeoForm/index.html?appid=ca3fe2b4cca148bb8
3c7f2ee383b3c58​. This is an example of a GeoForm.

Note: If you copy the URL and paste it into your browser’s address bar, be sure there are no spaces.

c) Complete the survey and submit the entry.

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Along with a score and comment, you have just added a location point to a feature layer in a web
map. The web map allows you to view all the data that has been submitted through the form. The
following graphic shows the web map for this GeoForm, but note that you do not have the
permissions to access this web map.

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After you collect data with your GeoForm, you can use the web map to publish a web app for users
to view the data. Remember, the web map is where you can edit the display -- the web app is where
users can view the final output. Let’s see what that would look like.

d) Browse to
http://diygeoapps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/SummaryViewer/index.html?appid=adbf97131f
d34655878b93051e2b47b3​.

You should see something like the following graphic:

This Summary Viewer app displays the data collected in the GeoForm you filled out. You can see the
number of features that are within the map extent, as well as summary statistics. This app returns
the count and the average score for all of the points within the map extent.

Zoom and pan around (click and drag) the map, and watch as the count and average score changes
based on the map extent.

Summary Viewer apps are a great way for users to explore data for different geographic areas
simply by panning and zooming.

This app (final public-facing map) was created using the same feature layer that the GeoForm was
tied to. This helps ensure that any new data from the collection app is added to the display app in
real time -- a user fills out the GeoForm, the data is filtered through the online map, and presented
in the final web app automatically. You can use this workflow if the collected data does not need to
be vetted before it is made public.

Now that you’ve seen how a GeoForm can be used to collect data and how that data can be shared
through a secondary app, we’ll show you how to build your own.

Step 2: Create a feature layer

While you can create GeoForms for pretty much anything you are interested in, for this exercise,

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you will recreate the Smart Community survey GeoForm.

First, you need to create a hosted feature layer. A hosted feature layer is a collection of geographic
data in the form of points, lines, or polygons that support vector querying, visualization, and editing.

a) Browse to ​developers.arcgis.com​.

b) At the top of the page, click ​Sign In​ and sign in using your ArcGIS Online account credentials
(your W&M login information, including @email.wm.edu).
c) Once signed in, click ​New Layer​ by clicking the down arrow next to Dashboard in the top
toolbar.
d) Click ​Create an Empty Layer​.
e) Complete the New Layer Details section as follows:
• For Title, type ​Smart Community Survey (Your Name)​.
• For Tags, type ​geoform​, ​smart communities.​ Press Enter after typing each tag.
• Click ​Geometry​.
• Be sure ​Points​ is selected.
• Click ​Fields​.
f) Now that we have created our feature layer, we want to specify what kind of attribute data
we’d like to collect. In this example, we want to know how smart participants think their
community is. In the Field Name box, type ​Score​ and, from the Data Type drop-down list,
select ​Integer​, and check the Required check box. The Integer type field means that you can
only whole numbers, no decimals or letters. The data type category allows the geoform user
to submit a predetermined formatted answer

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 g) Click ​Add Field​.
h) To define another field, type ​Comment​ in the Field Name box and, from the Data Type
drop-down list, select ​String​, and then click​ Add Field​. A string field will permit the geoform
user to submit any relevant text to supplement their geographic response.

i) Click ​Settings.
j) In the Layer Properties section, accept the defaults and click ​Create Layer​.

You are then directed to a page with information about your new feature layer. Next we will create
a web map to display our feature layer.

Step 3: Creating a Web Map

a) Click ​Open in Map Viewer​:

b) Hover over your “Smart Community Survey” layer, then click ​Change Style​.

c) Under ​Choose an attribute to show​, select ​Show location only​, then click ​Done​:

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d) Adjust your view so that you see the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding continents:

e) Click ​Basemap​ and select the Light Gray Canvas basemap.

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 f) Click ​Save​ and, from the drop-down list, choose ​Save​.
g) In the Save Map dialog box, enter the following information:
• For Title, type ​Smart Community Survey.
• For Tags, type ​smart communities​, ​geoform​, and ​Lab02​. Press Enter after typing each tag.
• For Summary, type ​Web map for a smart community survey​.
*Your ArcGIS Online username may or may not show up when you go to save it in a folder. If it
doesn’t, don’t panic -- you can still save and share your map without issue.

h) Click​ Save Map​.

Now that the web map is saved, you can create a GeoForm. A GeoForm is a type of “Web Mapping
Application”.

Step 4: Creating a GeoForm to Collect Crowdsourced Data in Your Feature Layer

A GeoForm web app collects crowdsourced data, but first you must make your map public.

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 a) From the ribbon at the top of the ArcGIS Online window, click ​Share​.

b) Share your map with everyone by selecting the​ Everyone (Public)​ checkbox.

Remember, you are creating a crowdsourcing app, so you want it to be accessible to the public. By
default, your feature services and web maps are private. When you update the sharing settings of a
web map, you will be asked whether you would like to update the sharing settings for the feature
services in that web map. Generally, you will want to update the feature services’ sharing settings to
align with the web map. If you do not, someone could access your web map but receive an error
message (for example, when a web map is shared with everyone, but the feature service is set to
private).

c) Click ​Update Sharing​.

d) Click ​Create A Web App​:

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e) In the list on the left, select ​Collect/Edit Data​, and then click ​GeoForm​:

f) In the right pane, click ​Create Web App​:

g) In the Create a New Web App dialog, enter the following information:

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 • For Title and Tags, accept the defaults.

• For Summary, type ​GeoForm to collect community information​.

• For the Save In Folder field, type in your username, which is your email address
(​student@email.wm.edu​). Remember, your ArcGIS Online username may or may
not show up. If it doesn’t, don’t panic -- you can still save and share your map
without issue.

h) Click ​Done​.

You are then directed to the GeoForm Builder, which will help you configure your app.

Step 5: Use the GeoForm Builder to configure the data collection app

a) Click ​Next​ on the Start tab.

The web map you want to use for the GeoForm is already selected (i.e. the Smart Community
Survey map you created).

b) On the Select A Webmap page, click ​Next​.

c) On the Select Editable Layer(s) page, from the Layer drop-down, choose the
Smart_Community_Survey​ layer, and then click ​Next​. (This is the hosted feature layer you
created previously).
d) Enter the following information:

Title Form Instructions & Details

How Smart is Your Community?
Fill out the simple survey below about your
community. The results of the survey will be
used to create a web application that will
show citizen perceptions of how smart
communities are around the world.

e) Use the following graphic to help you complete the rest of the Form Details page:

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f) Click ​Next​.
g) Uncheck​ the Enable Attachments check box.
h) Click the ​Configure​ button for the Score field.

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 i) Enter the information below into the Help Text section, and then click ​Close​:

Help Text: ​Rate how smart you think your community is on a scale of 1 to 5. 5 = You regularly use
spatial technology to learn about your community or communicate with your local government. 1 =
You never use spatial technology to learn about your community or communicate with your local
government​.

j) For the Comment field, click the ​Configure​ button.

k) Enter the information below into the Comment section, and then click ​Close​.

Help Text: ​Tell us a little more about how your community uses/does not use spatial technology.

l) Click ​Next​.

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m) Select the theme you prefer. In the example we showed earlier, we used the Cyborg theme,
but feel free to explore other themes. Click Next.

n) For the Display Field, select ​Score​ and then click ​Next​.

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In the example we showed earlier, we chose to display the layer, disable social media sharing
buttons, and limit the select location to My Location and Search.

o) Configure the options as you see fit, and then click ​Next​. Feel free to use the following
graphic to help guide you.

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After configuring the options, you are directed to the Preview page. However, you can select
Preview from the side menu at any time to preview any changes you make.

p) When you are satisfied with your application, click Next:

q) Click Save And Exit:

Congratulations, you just published a crowdsourcing geo app!

Step 6: View the GeoForm web data-collection app

a) Choose View Application to see your GeoForm in action.

Lab 2b: Ask Your Own Geographic Question

GOALS

For this part of the lab, you will design your own survey and build a GeoForm to send out to family
and friends. You will ask a question that collects spatial and attribute data-- that is, respondents
must answer with a location, plus some information about that location. For example, you could
ask “What’s your favorite brewery in the US” and build a GeoForm that looks like this:
http://arcg.is/1TuIXDx​.

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ESSENTIAL SKILLS

• Asking a geographic question

• Collecting spatial and attribute data

Step 1: What is your Quest?

The first step is to think of your question--it should be:

● Tied to a specific geographic location (ex. Address, city, town, etc.) within the continental
United States.
● Answered with either qualitative or quantitative responses that give information about the
specific geographic location.
● Easily categorized (into <10 groups). Avoid questions that could elicit many unique
responses. ​This will be important for next week’s lab, where you will map your.

As another example, you might ask “How many people, on average, wait with me at my morning bus
stop?” The location of the bus stop could be identified on the map and the information about that
bus stop is the number of people waiting on an average morning. Remember the question should
have an answer that is tied to a location as well as some information about that location. In the
previous example the location was the community and the information was how smart that
community was rated. Also, if part of the collected information is a number or a count, it will be
easier to categorize and eventually map the data.

Feel free to have your question approved by your TA/Professor before continuing.

Step 2: Create and Share your GeoForm

Follow the same procedure you used above (in Part A, starting with Step 2), but substitute your
own question and relevant information. Collect both spatial information and one or more attributes
(e.g. date of last visit, distance from home in miles, time it takes to walk to the location). Once
completed, test your GeoForm and submit your own answer. Notice that once you submit your
answer you will see the following pop-up screen:

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Included in this screen is the Form Link you can send out to family and friends, post on Facebook or
any other social media to recruit people to submit answers to your questions (​you will need at
least 20 responses​ - if you’re having trouble with this part, talk to the TAs!). Be sure to share this
link in the Lab02 Forum on Blackboard.

Note: Editing your GeoForm

If you need to go back and edit your Geoform, follow these steps:

1. Click the ​Content​ button at the top of your screen in ArcGIS Online.
2. Choose your GeoForm (Web Mapping Application)
3. On the right side of the screen, select ​Configure App​.

Note: Adding and Deleting Fields

If you would like to add or delete a field after you already created your hosted feature layer, follow
these steps:

4. Click the ​Content​ button at the top of your screen in ArcGIS Online.
5. Choose your Feature Layer.
6. Go to the ​Data ​tab.
7. To ​add​ a field, click the Options button on the right side of your screen, and select ​Add
Field​. Fill in the information for your new field.
8. To ​delete​ a field, click on the name of the field that you wish to delete, and select ​Delete​.

DELIVERABLES

(1) Post the link to your geoform on the Citizen Science discussion forum (on Blackboard) (20
points)
(2) Submit to Blackboard (via ​Assignments​ tab) a ​single pdf document ​that includes the
following:
(a) A screenshot of your public geoform (20 pts)
(b) A screenshot of your map with at least 20 entries (40 pts)
(c) The titles of 5 classmate geoforms that you have contributed to (20 pts)

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