Numbers on Thematic Maps: Helpful Simplicity Or Too Raw to Be Useful for Map Reading?
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Evaluation of Methods for Classifying Epidemiological Data on Choropleth Maps in Series
Evaluation of Methods for Classifying Epidemiological Data on Choropleth Maps in Series Cynthia A. Brewer* and Linda Pickle** *Department of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University **National Cancer Institute Our research goal was to determine which choropleth classification methods are most suitable for epidemiological rate maps. We compared seven methods using responses by fifty-six subjects in a two-part experiment involving nine series of U.S. mortality maps. Subjects answered a wide range of general map-reading questions that involved indi- vidual maps and comparisons among maps in a series. The questions addressed varied scales of map-reading, from in- dividual enumeration units, to regions, to whole-map distributions. Quantiles and minimum boundary error classi- fication methods were best suited for these general choropleth map-reading tasks. Natural breaks (Jenks) and a hybrid version of equal-intervals classing formed a second grouping in the results, both producing responses less than 70 percent as accurate as for quantiles. Using matched legends across a series of maps (when possible) increased map-comparison accuracy by approximately 28 percent. The advantages of careful optimization procedures in choropleth classification seem to offer no benefit over the simpler quantile method for the general map-reading tasks tested in the reported experiment. Key Words: choropleth, classification, epidemiology, maps. horopleth mapping is well suited for presenta- a range of classification methods in anticipation of in- tion and exploration of mortality-rate data. Of creased production of mortality maps at the NCHS, the C the many options available, epidemiologists cus- National Cancer Institute (NCI), and other health agen- tomarily use quantile-based classification in their map- cies through desktop geographic information systems ping (see Table 5 in Walter and Birnie 1991). -
Cartography. the Definitive Guide to Making Maps, Sample Chapter
Cartograms Cartograms offer a way of accounting for differences in population distribution by modifying the geography. Geography can easily get in the way of making a good Consider the United States map in which thematic map. The advantage of a geographic map is that it states with larger populations will inevitably lead to larger numbers for most population- gives us the greatest recognition of shapes we’re familiar with related variables. but the disadvantage is that the geographic size of the areas has no correlation to the quantitative data shown. The intent However, the more populous states are not of most thematic maps is to provide the reader with a map necessarily the largest states in area, and from which comparisons can be made and so geography is so a map that shows population data in the almost always inappropriate. This fact alone creates problems geographical sense inevitably skews our perception of the distribution of that data for perception and cognition. Accounting for these problems because the geography becomes dominant. might be addressed in many ways such as manipulating the We end up with a misleading map because data itself. Alternatively, instead of changing the data and densely populated states are relatively small maintaining the geography, you can retain the data values but and vice versa. Cartograms will always give modify the geography to create a cartogram. the map reader the correct proportion of the mapped data variable precisely because it modifies the geography to account for the There are four general types of cartogram. They each problem. distort geographical space and account for the disparities caused by unequal distribution of the population among The term cartogramme can be traced to the areas of different sizes. -
Cartographic Visualisation and Landscape Modeling
CARTOGRAPHIC VISUALISATION AND LANDSCAPE MODELING Milap Punia Associate Professor, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi-110067 - [email protected] KEY WORDS: Preception, Aesthetics, Cartographic Design,Visualisation, Landscape ABSTRACT: Perception plays a major role for interpretation or extracting information from remote sensing data and from thematic maps. With advances in information technology, there remains a necessary and critical role for the “human in the loop” in the interpretation of remotely sensed imagery, in earth sciences and cartography. On the side of information technology display systems play a critical role in supporting visualization, and in recent years it has become widely recognized that the visualization of data is critical in science, including the domain of cartography, a field with a long-standing interest in issues of communication effectiveness. These cartographic concerns pertaining to the features of display symbols, elements, and patterns have clear effects on process of perception and visual search. In this study an attempt has been made to harness, interpret, compare and evaluate landscape aesthetics with cartographic aesthetics. By understanding and incorporating cartographic aesthetics with landscape aesthetics, the cartographic design process can be strengthened and effective maps can be generated. Here both landscape and cartography are considered as objects of aesthetics and an attempt has been made to evaluate their aesthetic experience and to analyze their various patterns of similarity and exceptions. By doing this it formulates and facilitates conception of feeling, expression and visual reality all together in the cartographic design process. 1. INTRODUCTION Aesthetics has been a subject of philosophy since long period. -
MAP DESIGN a Development of Background Map Visualisation in Digpro Dppower Application
EXAMENSARBETE INOM TEKNIK, GRUNDNIVÅ, 15 HP STOCKHOLM, SVERIGE 2017 MAP DESIGN A development of background map visualisation in Digpro dpPower application FREDRIK AHNLÉN KTH SKOLAN FÖR ARKITEKTUR OCH SAMHÄLLSBYGGNAD Acknowledgments Annmari Skrifvare, Digpro AB, co-supervisor. For setting up test environment, providing feed- back and support throughout the thesis work. Jesper Svedberg, Digpro AB, senior-supervisor. For providing feedback both in the start up process of the thesis work as well as the evaluation part. Milan Horemuz, KTH Geodesy and Geoinformatics, co-supervisor. For assisting in the structur- ing of the thesis work as well as providing feedback and support. Anna Jenssen, KTH Geodesy and Geoinformatics, examiner. Finally big thanks to Anders Nerman, Digpro AB, for explaining the fundamentals of cus- tomer usage of dpPower and Jeanette Stenberg, Kraftringen, Gunilla Pettersson, Eon Energi, Karin Backström, Borlänge Energi, Lars Boström, Torbjörn Persson and Thomas Björn- hager, Smedjebacken Energi Nät AB, for providing user feedback via interviews and survey evaluation. i Abstract What is good map design and how should information best be visualised for a human reader? This is a general question relevant for all types of design and especially for digital maps and various Geographic Information Systems (GIS), due to the rapid development of our digital world. This general question is answered in this thesis by presenting a number of principles and tips for design of maps and specifically interactive digital visualisation systems, such as a GIS. Furthermore, this knowledge is applied to the application dpPower, by Digpro, which present the tools to help customers manage, visualise, design and perform calculations on their electrical networks. -
Map Layout and Cartographic Design with Arcgis Desktop
Map Layout and Cartographic Design with ArcGIS Desktop Matthew Baker ESRI Educational Services Redlands, CA Education UC 2008 1 Seminar overview • General map design principles • Working with map elements • UiUsing Arc Map temp ltlates • Tips and tricks for improving maps Education UC 2008 2 Affective and substantive design • ‘Thin k be fore you draw ’ – Map design is a timetime--consumingconsuming process • Affec tive – What is the ‘look’ or ‘feel’ of the map? • Historical, modern, technical • Substantive – What is shown on the map and for what purpose? • Text blocks, charts, tables, images Map image from the Atlas of Oregon (2nd. Ed.), Copyright 2001 University of Oregon Press Education UC 2008 3 Layout design • Balance – Margins – White space – Bounding boxes – Alignment Unbalanced layout Education UC 2008 4 Layout design • Balance – Margins – White space – Bounding boxes – Alignment Balanced layout Education UC 2008 5 Layout design: Figure Ground Relationship • Figure: – object in front of the background • Ground: – Underlying plane behind elements • Figure-Ground Relationship – Separating figure from ground – Enhanced using • Drop shadow • Draw order • Contrast Map image from the Atlas of Oregon (2nd. Ed.) Copyright 2001 University of Oregon Press Education UC 2008 6 Layout design • Visua l contrast – Separates figure from ground Education UC 2008 7 Layout design • Visual contrast Education UC 2008 8 Layout design • Visual hierarchy • More attention paid from top down • Top: – Important items – Larger items • Bottom – Less important -
Chapter 1. Map Study and Interpretation
Chapter 1. Map Study and Interpretation 1.1. Maps A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes. Many maps are static two-dimensional, geometrically accurate (or approximately accurate) representations of three-dimensional space, while others are dynamic or interactive, even three-dimensional. Although most commonly used to depict geography, maps may represent any space, real or imagined, without regard to context or scale; e.g. brain mapping, DNA mapping, and extraterrestrial mapping. 1.2. Types of Maps Maps are one of the most important tools researchers, cartographers, students and others can use to examine the entire Earth or a specific part of it. Simply defined maps are pictures of the Earth's surface. They can be general reference and show landforms, political boundaries, water, the locations of cities, or in the case of thematic maps, show different but very specific topics such as the average rainfall distribution for an area or the distribution of a certain disease throughout a county. Today with the increased use of GIS, also known as Geographic Information Systems, thematic maps are growing in importance. A map is a visual representation of an area – a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes. There are however applications for different types of general reference maps when the different types are understood correctly. These maps do not just show a city's location for example; instead the different map types can show a plethora of information about places around the world. -
Cartographic Perspectives Perspectives 1 Journal of the North American Cartographic Information Society Number 65, Winter 2010
Number 65, Winter 2010 cartographicCartographic perspectives Perspectives 1 Journal of the North American Cartographic Information Society Number 65, Winter 2010 From the Editor In this Issue Dear NACIS Members: OPINION PIECE Outside the Bubble: Real-world Mapmaking Advice for Students 7 The winter of 2010 was quite an ordeal to get through here on the FEATURED ARTICLES eastern side of Big Savage Moun- Considerations in Design of Transition Behaviors for Dynamic 16 tain. A nearby weather recording Thematic Maps station located on Keysers Ridge Sarah E. Battersby and Kirk P. Goldsberry (about 10 miles to the west of Frostburg) recorded 262.5 inches Non-Connective Linear Cartograms for Mapping Traffic Conditions 33 of snow for the winter of 2010. Yi-Hwa Wu and Ming-Chih Hung For the first time in my eleven- year tenure at Frostburg State REVIEWS University, the university was Cartography Design Annual # 1 51 shut down for an entire week. Reviewed by Mary L. Johnson The crews that normally plow the sidewalks and parking lots were Cartographic Relief Presentation 53 snowed in and could not get out of Reviewed by Dawn Youngblood their homes. As storm after storm swept through the area, plow- GIS Tutorial for Marketing 54 ing became more difficult. There Reviewed by Eva Dodsworth wasn’t enough room to pile up the snow. Even today, snow drifts The State of the Middle East: An Atlas of Conflict and Resolution 56 remain dotted amidst the green- Reviewed by Daniel G. Cole ing fields. However, it appears as though spring will pass us by as CARTOGRAPHIC COLLECTIONS summer apparently is already here More than Just a Pretty Picture: The Map Collection at the Library 59 with several days that have broken of Virginia existing record high temperatures. -
Design Issues with 3D Maps and the Need for 3D Cartographic Design
Design Issues with 3D Maps and the Need for 3D Cartographic Design Principles Dave Pegg Abstract Design issues regarding the presentation of geographical information in a th ree- dimensional perspective are varied and complex. This paper looks at some of issues of 3D mapping stemming from its rapid development as a cartographic tool, its growing popularity and accessibility amongst users, and the 3D cartographic principles proposed to manage the design and presentation that are not covered by traditional cartographic principles. Introduction Multimedia cartography has been propelled forward by the rapid technological advances for the capture, manipulation and presentation of geographical data, with most map products now being developed digitally. The quality and accuracy of data capture, data storage & manipulation capabilities, as well as the advancements in software, mean that a cartographer now has the ability to digitally create spatially accurate, detailed and high resolution three-dimensional maps and visualizations. The advent of Digital terrain or elevation models make available the presentation of geographical data in three dimensional space, and allowing precise modelling of not only x and y locations, but the z height creating a three-dimensional landscape. In the case of three-dimensional cartographic mapping, there are many different applications that have been designed for the creation of 3D maps and visualizations, and the development of standards and guidelines in regards to the technical aspects of such models. 3D maps can be done in several different ways, each way creating a different representation of the landscape. 3D maps can be photorealistic, where the landscape is created to match the exact landscape, using techniques of overlaying ortho-photography over a 3D model, or can be “symbolistic”, where the maps are generalized and symbols designed to show object locations and information. -
Investigating Adolescents' Interpretations And
INVESTIGATING ADOLESCENTS’ INTERPRETATIONS AND PRODUCTIONS OF THEMATIC MAPS AND MAP ARGUMENT PERFORMANCES IN THE MEDIA By Nathan Charles Phillips Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Vanderbilt University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Learning, Teaching and Diversity December, 2013 Nashville, Tennessee Approved: Professor Kevin M. Leander Professor Rogers Hall Professor Pratim Sengupta Professor Jay Clayton Professor Cynthia Lewis To Julee and To Jenna, Amber, Lukas, Isaac, and Esther ! ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My dissertation work was financially supported by the National Science Foundation through the Tangibility for the Teaching, Learning, and Communicating of Mathematics grant (NSF DRL-0816406) and by Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and the Department of Teaching and Learning. I feel most grateful to the young people I worked with. I hope I have done justice to their efforts to learn, laugh, and play with thematic maps. Mr. Norman welcomed me into his classroom and graciously gave me the space and time for this work. He was interested, supportive, and generous throughout. The district and school administrators and office staff at Local County High School were welcoming and accommodating, including the librarians who made some of the technology possible. It would be impossible to express how much my life and scholarship have been directed and supported by Kevin Leander and Rogers Hall over the last six years. Their brilliance, innovative thinking, and academic mentorship are only surpassed by their kind hearts and good friendship. I will forever be blessed by Kevin’s willingness to take me on as a doctoral student and for his invitation to join the SLaMily with Rogers, Katie Headrick Taylor, and Jasmine Ma. -
CARTOGRAPHIC DESIGN: Cartographic Design Principles Symbology Type Map Compilation Cartographic Design Principles from the Outset…
DAY 2 CARTOGRAPHIC DESIGN: Cartographic Design Principles Symbology Type Map Compilation Cartographic Design Principles From the outset… • …know your message • These will guide your decisions about • …know your audience – map projections • …design for the medium – generalization – symbology – labeling – map elements (scale bars, legends, north arrows, etc.) – page layout – everything! A couple of cartographic terms… • Substantive objective • Affective objective – What you are showing – the – How you are showing it – the “substance” of the map’ “affect” of the map – The map is the MAIN thing!!!! – Sets the mood – Map elements support the map – Use map to promote it • these should be informative , • content not just take up space • colors, text, symbols • legend, title, inset maps, text – Use map elements to promote blocks, logos, north arrow, scale this • bounding box, north arrow, scale • text, color • images, graphs, other graphics • others Examples courtesy of the University of Oregon InfoGraphics Lab Design Planning • Visual balance – all elements balanced, aligned, thoughtful use of white space • Visual flow – movement of the eye across the page • Relative importance of map elements • Sketch map – starts you thinking, not the end Sketch Map • The place of interest • The distribution being mapped • The relative position of the data in the distribution being mapped • The map elements • The relative position of the map elements Cartographic Design Principles – review! • Generalization - Coastline • Figure-ground - Whitewash • Visual hierarchy – Administrative boundaries, rivers, labels • Legibility - labels • Visual balance – let’s take a look! • Visual flow • Symbolization • Typography Controls on Map Design and Compilation • Purpose – substantive / affective • Reality – shape, complexity, color • Available data – data quality / symbolization • Map scale – smaller scale - less feature detail • Audience – old / young, experienced / not • Conditions of use – light, distance, time to read map, medium, etc. -
Heat Maps: Perfect Maps for Quick Reading? Comparing Usability of Heat Maps with Different Levels of Generalization
International Journal of Geo-Information Article Heat Maps: Perfect Maps for Quick Reading? Comparing Usability of Heat Maps with Different Levels of Generalization Katarzyna Słomska-Przech * , Tomasz Panecki and Wojciech Pokojski Department of Geoinformatics, Cartography and Remote Sensing, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmiescie 30, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland; [email protected] (T.P.); [email protected] (W.P.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Recently, due to Web 2.0 and neocartography, heat maps have become a popular map type for quick reading. Heat maps are graphical representations of geographic data density in the form of raster maps, elaborated by applying kernel density estimation with a given radius on point- or linear-input data. The aim of this study was to compare the usability of heat maps with different levels of generalization (defined by radii of 10, 20, 30, and 40 pixels) for basic map user tasks. A user study with 412 participants (16–20 years old, high school students) was carried out in order to compare heat maps that showed the same input data. The study was conducted in schools during geography or IT lessons. Objective (the correctness of the answer, response times) and subjective (response time self-assessment, task difficulty, preferences) metrics were measured. The results show that the smaller radius resulted in the higher correctness of the answers. A larger radius did not result in faster response times. The participants perceived the more generalized maps as easier to use, although this result did not match the performance metrics. -
Functional Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Expressivity of Bertin's Visual
IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 8, Issue 5 (Mar. - Apr. 2013), PP 46-55 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.Iosrjournals.Org Functional Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Expressivity of Bertin’s Visual Variable Colour Hue in Thematic Map Design Vineeta John Assistant Professor, Geography Department, Ewing Christian College (An autonomous constituent College of Allahabad University ALLAHABAD Abstract: Notions of functionality of thematic maps that were built around Robinson’s seminal work ‘The Look of Maps’ were later redefined to include questions of efficiency and effectiveness. The possibility of the use of digital technology in map creation and reproduction widened the scope of map design research from evaluation of whole maps to the evaluation of basic graphic elements – the graphic or visual variables. The paper attempts to asses and validate one of the variables of Bertin’s model of visual or graphic variables- the visual variable colour hue on the basis of available experimental evidence related to the functional efficiency, effectiveness and expressiveness of the variable at different perceptual/cognitive levels and the experimental evidence from design research in thematic cartography. The analysis of results both from psychology and design research in thematic cartography show that the two levels association and selection have adequate empirical support in the above two areas. However, the experimental results for the level order are contrary to formulations of Bertin. In case of both hues ordered in spectral progression and hues ordered around a unique hue variability expanse or range which extend to either of its limits in a limited ambit of ordered steps adequately perform at the level of order.