From The Creator
Social Explorer launched in 2003 as one of the most informative and easy-to-use demographic websites in the world. It includes billions of data points spanning US demography from 1790 to the present and is actively used across the globe from research libraries to classrooms to government agencies, corporations, and the front page of the New York Times.
It has been almost 10 years since the Social Explorer platform was first developed and in this time we have seen a major shift in both the technological landscape and research needs.
In response to feedback from librarians and users, I am thrilled to announce that Social Explorer is moving to an all new, state-of-the-art platform leapfrogging current online mapping systems, allowing us to nimbly add new types of data sets from around the world and expand our user visualization and share tools.
Building on years of data and technological experience, Social Explorer has developed its own technology for online mapping. The upgraded map engine delivers dynamic visualizations with new levels of interactivity and customization. This new functionality enables maps to load faster, makes collaboration easier, allows better visualizations of the data, and supports the infrastructure that is key to growing our data and tools well into the future.
When you explore the new site, you’ll find an all new look and feel, expanded data, maps, and new features and functionality, making Social Explorer an even more useful and engaging research tool –from logging in, to building maps, to sharing your research.
I want to thank our librarians, users, Oxford University Press, and the National Science Foundation, whom without this development would not have been possible, and I would greatly value any feedback you have on the new Social Explorer.
All the best,
Andy