Transform Lives / Support the Libraries

What I find exceptional about the Duke Libraries

For an economics field paper that was part of my doctoral research, I studied the location choices of different types of supermarkets. One of my hypotheses was that different types of supermarkets target different populations. To test the hypothesis, I employed two different sets of population characteristic measurements: population density and racial density. To integrate population characteristics with supermarket locations data effectively, I needed a method for overlaying the supermarket locations on a three-dimensional map of population distribution. 

It was much easier to imagine the best way to represent the data than to figure out how to do it because there were no standard procedures to follow. For everything from choosing the data sets and combining them, from plotting the basic grid and projecting population measure onto the grid, and from smoothing the population density and overlaying a 2D spread of dots on a 3D map, I relied on the expertise of the librarians in the GIS/Data Services Center at Perkins Library. The librarians helped me select data and taught me how to use mapping software—Arc-GIS, Google GE, and Google Earth. Their help was invaluable to this project.

 The library provides me with state-of-the-art mapping software and the support of an experienced team. Both are integral factors in the success of my research.

Emily Yucai Wang
Candidate for Ph.D. in Economics