Determining how to disseminate your map is an essential step in the map making process. If you haven't already, you may want to ask yourself the following questions about your project:
As you think through and answer these questions, you can make an informed decision about the method for publishing your map.
If you plan to publish your map online, you will need to consider the capabilities of the platform or tool you selected to created your map, as well as your access a hosting service or server.
Static images
You can output a .pdf of .jpg file or use screenshots to produce static images that you can publish online. These can then be uploaded to a website, social media, or elsewhere to convey your research. Here are the static output possibilities:
Platform-hosted maps
The following tools shared in this guide allow for a degree of online hosting:
You will need to work within the guidelines of each platform to determine the level of accessibility to the public. You will also want to consider if you will have continued access to the tool. For example, if you build a map through your Princeton ArcGIS Online license, you may lose access to the map if you leave Princeton University.
Embedding your map
Tools such as Carto and ArcGIS also enable embedding, but this depends on your subscription (Carto) or license (ArcdGIS). Maps built with code (such as leaflet.js or folium) can output file types that can be placed within your larger repository or a website widget that reads html.