Over the past few years, we have started putting together StoryMaps to share our research in an interactive, accessible format. We think of each StoryMap as a small curated exhibit: a focused arrangement of maps, photographs, oral histories, archival documents and video that visitors can move through at their own pace.

Energy is often discussed in the abstract language of policy, markets and megaprojects. StoryMaps let us ground it in specific places and lives, showing how pipelines, refineries, oil towns and reclaimed lands shape the communities around them, and are shaped by them in turn. Because they are free to view, need no special software, and work on a phone as well as a computer, StoryMaps reach community partners, students, policymakers and curious readers who might never open an academic journal. They also let us share research in progress, inviting feedback while a project is still taking shape rather than only once it is finished.