scholarly journals Do Different Map Types Support Map Reading Equally? Comparing Choropleth, Graduated Symbols, and Isoline Maps for Map Use Tasks

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Słomska-Przech ◽  
Izabela Małgorzata Gołębiowska
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Input Data ◽  
User Study ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Thematic Maps ◽  
Map Reading ◽  
Thematic Cartography ◽  
User Tasks ◽  
Choropleth Map

It is acknowledged that various types of thematic maps emphasize different aspects of mapped phenomena and thus support different map users’ tasks. To provide empirical evidence, a user study with 366 participants was carried out comparing three map types showing the same input data. The aim of the study is to compare the effect of using choropleth, graduated symbols, and isoline maps to solve basic map user tasks. Three metrics were examined: two performance metrics (answer accuracy and time) and one subjective metric (difficulty). The results showed that the performance metrics differed between the analyzed map types, and better performances were recorded using the choropleth map. It was also proven that map users find the most commonly applied type of the map, choropleth map, as the easiest. In addition, the subjective metric matched the performance metrics. We conclude with the statement that the choropleth map can be a sufficient solution for solving various tasks. However, it should be remembered that making this type of map correctly may seem easy, but it is not. Moreover, we believe that the richness of thematic cartography should not be abandoned, and work should not be limited to one favorable map type only.

scholarly journals Heat Maps: Perfect Maps for Quick Reading? Comparing Usability of Heat Maps with Different Levels of Generalization

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 562
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Słomska-Przech ◽  
Tomasz Panecki ◽  
Wojciech Pokojski
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Input Data ◽  
User Study ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Subjective Response ◽  
School Students ◽  
Heat Maps ◽  
Different Levels

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. Overall, we believe that heat maps, in given circumstances and appropriate design settings, can be considered an efficient method for spatial data presentation.

scholarly journals Numbers on Thematic Maps: Helpful Simplicity or Too Raw to Be Useful for Map Reading?

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 415
Author(s):  
Jolanta Korycka-Skorupa ◽  
Izabela Gołębiowska
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Single Variable ◽  
Data Presentation ◽  
Map Reading ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Independent Form ◽  
Thematic Cartography ◽  
Bare Bones

As the development of small-scale thematic cartography continues, there is a growing interest in simple graphic solutions, e.g., in the form of numerical values presented on maps to replace or complement well-established quantitative cartographic methods of presentation. Numbers on maps are used as an independent form of data presentation or function as a supplement to the cartographic presentation, becoming a legend placed directly on the map. Despite the frequent use of numbers on maps, this relatively simple form of presentation has not been extensively empirically evaluated. This article presents the results of an empirical study aimed at comparing the usability of numbers on maps for the presentation of quantitative information to frequently used proportional symbols, for simple map-reading tasks. The study showed that the use of numbers on single-variable and two-variable maps results in a greater number of correct answers and also often an improved response time compared to the use of proportional symbols. Interestingly, the introduction of different sizes of numbers did not significantly affect their usability. Thus, it has been proven that—for some tasks—map users accept this bare-bones version of data presentation, often demonstrating a higher level of preference for it than for proportional symbols.

scholarly journals A Change of Theme: The Role of Generalization in Thematic Mapping

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Raposo ◽  
Guillaume Touya ◽  
Pia Bereuter
Keyword(s):  
Research Community ◽  
Thematic Maps ◽  
Geographic Visualization ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Cartographic Generalization ◽  
Thematic Mapping ◽  
Thematic Cartography ◽  
Public Audience ◽  
The Many

Cartographic generalization research has focused almost exclusively in recent years on topographic mapping, and has thereby gained an incorrect reputation for having to do only with reference or positional data. The generalization research community needs to broaden its scope to include thematic cartography and geovisualization. Generalization is not new to these areas of cartography, and has in fact always been involved in thematic geographic visualization, despite rarely being acknowledged. We illustrate this involvement with several examples of famous, public-audience thematic maps, noting the generalization procedures involved in drawing each, both across their basemap and thematic layers. We also consider, for each map example we note, which generalization operators were crucial to the formation of the map’s thematic message. The many incremental gains made by the cartographic generalization research community while treating reference data can be brought to bear on thematic cartography in the same way they were used implicitly on the well-known thematic maps we highlight here as examples.

scholarly journals Web service for thematic cartography

2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Rautenbach
Keyword(s):  
Web Service ◽  
Web Applications ◽  
Thematic Maps ◽  
Proprietary Software ◽  
Thematic Cartography

The  goal  of  the  research  is  to  evaluate  proprietary software and solutions suggested by other researchers for the implementation of a mechanism for the production of thematic maps on desktop and web applications, as well as the thematic cartographic ability of standard web service implementations.

Fuzzy Set Theory for Performance Evaluation in a Surgical Simulator

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 603-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ima Hajshirmohammadi ◽  
Shahram Payandeh
Keyword(s):  
Set Theory ◽  
Fuzzy Set ◽  
Fuzzy Set Theory ◽  
User Study ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Objective Evaluation ◽  
Surgical Simulator ◽  
Surgical Simulators ◽  
Highly Nonlinear ◽  
Fuzzy Classifiers

Increasing interest in computer-based surgical simulators as time- and cost-efficient training tools has introduced a new problem: objective evaluation of surgical performance based on scoring metrics provided by surgical simulators. This project employed fuzzy set theory to design a classifier for performance of a subject training on a surgical simulator, using three categories: novice, intermediate, and expert. The MIST-VR simulator was used in a user study of 26 subjects with three different surgical skill levels: 8 experienced laparoscopic surgeons (experts), 8 surgical assistants (intermediates), and 10 nurses (novices). Subjects were required to perform four trials of a suturing task and a knot-tying task on the simulator. The performance data were then used to train and test two fuzzy classifiers for each task. The fuzzy classifier was able to classify the users of the system. The models presented a highly nonlinear relationship between the inputs (performance metrics) and output (fuzzy score) of the system, which may not be effectively captured with classical classification approaches. Fuzzy classifiers, however, can offer effective tools to handle the complexity and fuzziness of objective evaluation of surgical performances.

scholarly journals Map compiling, map reading, and cartographic design in "Pragmatic pyramid of thematic mapping"

2010 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beata Medyńska-Gulij
Keyword(s):  
Simple Relationship ◽  
Functional Dependencies ◽  
Thematic Maps ◽  
Map Reading ◽  
Special Regard ◽  
Sources Of Knowledge ◽  
Thematic Mapping ◽  
Map Design

Map compiling, map reading, and cartographic design in "Pragmatic pyramid of thematic mapping" This paper concerns the dependent relationships between map compilation, map reading, and cartographic design with special regard to thematic mapping. The first step is to measure the simple relationship between cartographic practice and map design and present a pyramid of pragmatic thematic mapping. The model contains various types of maps, a range of cartographic principles, and sources of knowledge for map design. When presented as a pyramid, these functional dependencies can refer to a series of pragmatic criteria which relate to the use of thematic maps.

Human Factor Study in Gesture Based CAD Environment

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shrey Pareek ◽  
Vaibhav Sharma ◽  
Ehsan T. Esfahani
Keyword(s):  
Input Data ◽  
Human Factor ◽  
User Study ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
High Extent ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
3D Space ◽  
Factor Study

This study proposes a gesture based CAD interface that uses pose, position, velocity and direction of fingers as input data in order to draw, extrude, scale, translate and rotate an object in the 3D space. The system allows the user to generate basic geometrical primitives and advanced geometries (geometries that cannot be realized using the CSG primitives) and to perform basic CAD operations described above. As opposed to traditional systems wherein path based gestures are used to carry out operations, the proposed system uses switches that operate on simple binary principles thus reducing the computational cost of the system by eliminating the use of a classifier scheme to a high extent. A user study involving 10 subjects is also presented in order to determine the qualitative and quantitative efficacy of the proposed system.

scholarly journals CARTOGRAFIA: reflexões acerca de uma caminhada

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (13) ◽  
pp. 21-50
Author(s):  
Marcello Martinelli
Keyword(s):  
Graphic Representation ◽  
Thematic Maps ◽  
De Se ◽  
Thematic Mapping ◽  
Thematic Cartography ◽  
The One

O presente artigo expõem-se algumas diretrizes para a elaboração de Mapas Temáticos, com as devidas anotações para se trabalhar no campo da Cartografia Temática no contexto da Cartografia como um todo. Nesse empreendimento aponta-se a opção de se considerar a Cartografia como uma linguagem, a linguagem da representação gráfica e os cuidados a serem levados em conta na sua elaboração. Focaliza-se, correlativamente, a Cartografia Escolar que além dos ensinamentos sobre o ensino do mapa destaca-se aquele sobre o ensino pelo mapa, onde interfere seguros conhecimentos da Cartografia Temática na didática da Geografia. PALAVRAS-CHAVE Cartografia. Cartografia Temática. Representação gráfica. Cartografia Escolar. CARTOGRAPHY: reflections about a walkABSTRACTThis article presents some guidelines for the elaboration of Thematic Maps, with the appropriate annotations to work in the field of Thematic Cartography in the context of Cartography as a whole. In this endeavor the option is chosen to consider Cartography as a language, the language of graphic representation and the care to be taken into account in its elaboration. It focuses, correlatively, the School Cartography that besides the teachings about the teaching of the map stands out the one about the teaching by the map, where it interferes safe knowledge of the Thematic Cartography in didactics of the Geography. KEYWORDS Cartography. Thematic mapping. Graphic representation. School cartography. ISSN: 2236-3904REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE EDUCAÇÃO EM GEOGRAFIA - RBEGwww.revistaedugeo.com.br - [email protected]

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