McMaster University Libraries provides support and resources for a variety of GIS and geospatial data needs.
Service | Access | Description | Important Notes
| Expanded Service |
Consultation | Book consultations online through the appointment booking form.
| 30-60-minute individual or group consultations to support the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and geospatial data.
This can include guidance in areas such as:
Consultations can be held in-person, online (Zoom or Teams), or addressed via email.
| Users are expected to provide details of their questions or issues prior to the consultation to maximize the meeting time. This should include:
GIS and Geospatial Data Services will follow up via email with a summary of resources discussed during the appointment.
| Ongoing support may be available, subject to the GIS Specialist's availability.
See "Project Support and Collaborations" for support beyond research consultations. |
Training and Instruction | Request a workshop or class session through the instruction request form.
| 1-2-hour workshop(s) on:
| A minimum of 3 weeks' notice is required for all instruction requests. | For tailored or customized workshops, designed to meet the specific needs of the class or research group, or multiple sessions over the course of the term, consult with the GIS Specialist.
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ArcGIS Access | Request an ArcGIS account through the software request form.
| Provisioning of ArcGIS licenses for students, staff, faculty, and classes for the purpose of teaching, coursework, or research at McMaster University.
This service also includes support for creating and managing ArcGIS groups or collaborations, enabling shared editing and collaboration within research teams or across partner organizations.
| ArcGIS licenses are restricted to current McMaster University students, staff, and faculty.
Users are responsible for maintaining their own ArcGIS content, including content created within their research groups. This includes arranging to transfer the content to another individual upon graduating or leaving the University.
If project work exceeds the allocated number of credits, students and researchers may be responsible for the cost of additional credits.
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Project Support and Collaborations | Schedule the initial consultation using the appointment booking form.
| For projects requiring assistance beyond the guidance provided through research consultations, the GIS Specialist may be able to help with:
| Subject to GIS Specialist’s availability.
Conducting or interpreting research data analysis is the responsibility of the researcher.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) may be required between the user and the GIS Specialist to define the scope of work. | See the Sherman Centre Grant and Project Support guidelines and menu for additional supports as it relates to research grant applications and projects. |
As part of its mandate to support McMaster University's research and teaching mission, the McMaster University Libraries (“Libraries”) offers GIS and Geospatial Data Services (“The Service”) for individuals affiliated with McMaster University, as outlined below in Eligibility and Roles, where resources allow and specific conditions are met.
These terms of service (ToS) outline the relationship between the Libraries and eligible individuals (“users”). Users are expected to review and understand the ToS outlined in this document before availing themselves of the Service.
The Service provides support for a range of activities, including software selection and licensing, data discovery and geospatial data management, GIS use and analysis, map-based visualizations, and training and skill development.
The Service is available to faculty, staff, and students at McMaster University who are engaged in coursework, instruction, research, or skill development initiatives. This includes full-time, part-time, and adjunct faculty members, librarians, graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff. Local community groups may be able to access The Service when collaborating with an eligible McMaster member (as defined above) or may be able to access The Service through expanded service offerings.
Final decisions on eligibility are subject to the discretion of the Libraries. The Libraries reserve the right to decline service to those outside of scope. Please ensure you review the responsibilities & commitments between the researcher and The Service.
User Those using The Service are expected to: | GIS and Geospatial Data Services The Service team commits to: |
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ArcGIS Online and Esri software are subject to their own Terms of Use which fall under the Esri Master Agreement. These terms and agreements outline permitted uses, license conditions, data handling, and user responsibilities for Esri platforms and services.
Scholars GeoPortal and geospatial data resources are subject to the data provider's terms of use, outlining restrictions and requirements on redistribution, citation, and limitations on use.
To provide, evaluate, and improve our services, McMaster University Libraries collects and processes information submitted by patrons. We are committed to handling this data with the highest standards of privacy and in accordance with institutional data governance policies.
How We Use Your Information:
We use the information you provide for the following purposes:
Data Privacy and Anonymization:
For the purposes of service review and institutional reporting, we use de-identified and aggregated data only. Any personal identifiers are removed to ensure that individual patrons cannot be identified in any public or internal report.
Data Retention:
Information is retained only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined above or as required by university record-retention schedules.
This document has been adapted from Terms of Service documents from McMaster University Libraries (September 2021-February 2025), University of Toronto Mississauga Library (August 2019) and York University Libraries (June 2018), the University of Guelph’s Research & Scholarship Service Level Agreement (no date), New York University’s Terms of Web Hosting Pilot Service document, December 2017, University of Ottawa’s Service document, June 2018, McMaster University Libraries’ Research Data Management Terms of Service, June 2026.
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