III - Online Help, the Arc Help File, and Data Sources

All of the software packages discussed so far have excellent built-in help menus. In particular, the help menu in ArcGIS is very thorough and will likely address all of your needs. To access the help file for ArcInfo, simply type help at the arc prompt and the file will load. As with the ArcGIS help menu, ArcInfo's help file is very good. The following websites are good resources when the help menus fail to answer your questions:

http://support.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=forums.gateway

http://www.gis.com/

http://www.geographynetwork.com/

http://www.geology.iupui.edu/research/GraphixLab/procedures/help.htm

The best website for locating GIS data (shapefiles, DEMs, and coverages) is:

http://www.gisdatadepot.com

The GIS Data Depot is responsible for the archiving and distribution of all USGS digital maps and data. Consequently, they are the premiere source of such data. In addition to USGS data, the GIS Data Depot houses shapefiles and coverages for many other countries around the world.