Showing papers in "Cartographic Journal in 2015"

Accurate attribute mapping from volunteered geographic information: issues of volunteer quantity and quality

Abstract: Crowdsourcing is a popular means of acquiring data, but the use of such data is limited by concerns with its quality. This is evident within cartography and geographical sciences more generally, with the quality of volunteered geographic information (VGI) recognized as a major challenge to address if the full potential of citizen sensing in mapping applications is to be realized. Here, a means to characterize the quality of volunteers, based only on the data they contribute, was used to explore issues connected with the quantity and quality of volunteers for attribute mapping. The focus was on data in the form of annotations or class labels provided by volunteers who visually interpreted an attribute, land cover, from a series of satellite sensor images. A latent class model was found to be able to provide accurate characterisations of the quality of volunteers in terms of the accuracy of their labelling, irrespective of the number of cases that they labelled. The accuracy with which a volunteer could be characterized tended to increase with the number of volunteers contributing but was typically good at all but small numbers of volunteers. Moreover, the ability to characterize volunteers in terms of the quality of their labelling could be used constructively. For example, volunteers could be ranked in terms of quality which could then be used to select a sub-set as input to a subsequent mapping task. This was particularly important as an identified subset of volunteers could undertake a task more accurately than when part of a larger group of volunteers. The results highlight that both the quantity and quality of volunteers need consideration and that the use of VGI may be enhanced through information on the quality of the volunteers derived entirely from the data provided without any additional information.

Cartography-Oriented Design of 3D Geospatial Information Visualization – Overview and Techniques

Abstract: In economy, society and personal life map-based interactive geospatial visualization becomes a natural element of a growing number of applications and systems. The visualization of 3D geospatial information, however, raises the question how to represent the information in an effective way. Considerable research has been done in technology-driven directions in the fields of cartography and computer graphics (e.g., design principles, visualization techniques). Here, non-photorealistic rendering (NPR) represents a promising visualization category – situated between both fields – that offers a large number of degrees for the cartography-oriented visual design of complex 2D and 3D geospatial information for a given application context. Still today, however, specifications and techniques for mapping cartographic design principles to the state-of-the-art rendering pipeline of 3D computer graphics remain to be explored. This paper revisits cartographic design principles for 3D geospatial visualization and introdu...

Listen to the Map User: Cognition, Memory, and Expertise

Abstract: This paper aims to extend current research regarding map users’ cognitive processes while working with screen maps. The described experiment investigates how (expert and novice) map users retrieve information from memory that was previously gathered from screen maps. A user study was conducted in which participants had to draw a map from memory. During this task, they were instructed to say out loud every thought that came into mind. Both user groups addressed the same general cognitive structures and processes to solve the task at hand. However, the experts’ background knowledge facilitated the retrieval process and allowed them to derive extra information through deductive reasoning. The novices used more descriptive terms instead of naming the objects and could remember less, and less detailed map elements.

Legend Layouts for Thematic Maps: A Case Study Integrating Usability Metrics with the Thinking Aloud Method

Abstract: The legend is a critical tool in reading and interpreting a thematic map The goal of the study reported here is to understand how the legend works as a map is read The methodology combined usability performance metrics with the thinking aloud method Subjects were asked to perform two sets of tasks using two thematic maps with different legend layouts While latency and accuracy of answers for the first set of tasks did not differ significantly between users of the different layouts, users clearly preferred legends that were simple or familiar The thinking aloud protocols from the second part of the study revealed different patterns of legend comprehension for each legend design In addition, the study identified four problem-solving strategies that were adopted by the subjects Finally, some principles for designing legends were developed from the results of the study

How do map readers recognize a topographic mapping style

Abstract: The process of reading a topographic map requires users to recognize and learn the cartographic symbols of the key (or legend) while interpreting the territory as depicted on the map at a given level of abstraction (the form and nature of features, their saliency and relationships). We present the results of an empirical user study that aims to identify and assess the main graphical characteristics that are used by map users to recognize the design principles which constitute the topographic mapping style adopted by IGN (Institut National de l'Information Geographique et Forestiere), France. Our results suggest that 91% of the participants were able to recognize an IGN-France topographic map amongst other topographic map products. We also determine which graphical characteristics play a role in the recognition of this cartographic style, either by visual memory or by visual perception, and identify the representation of relief, including contour lines and shaded relief, as one of the major graphical chara...

Improving Tactile Map Usability through 3D Printing Techniques: An Experiment with New Tactile Symbols

Abstract: This paper shows an experiment with tactile maps designed for visually impaired persons. Tests were carried out on a tactile map produced with 3D printing and including a new type of tactile symbols, volumetric symbols (3D). These symbols are localized faster than conventional flat relief symbols, with the same error rate, an improvement in the use of these tactile devices. Moreover, following tests, differences were found between types of participants with blind participants generally carrying out the proposed tasks better than the rest of users.

‘I’ve got my Sat Nav, it’s alright’: Users’ Attitudes towards, and Engagements with, Technologies of Navigation

Abstract: The use of qualitative research techniques in a largely quantitative cartographic domain is opening up myriad ways to explore users’ engagements technologies of navigation. This study draws on young UK-based students’ real words and life experiences as they engage with Satellite Navigation and other wayfinding technologies during first-time visits to new places to reflect on the nature of the changing relationships between self, navigational object, space and place.

Automated Extraction of Natural Drainage Density Patterns for the Conterminous United States through High-Performance Computing

Abstract: Hydrographic networks form an important data foundation for cartographic base mapping and for hydrologic analysis. Drainage density patterns for these networks can be derived to characterize local landscape, bedrock and climate conditions, and further inform hydrological and geomorphological analysis by indicating areas where too few headwater channels are represented. Natural drainage density patterns are not consistently available in existing hydrographical data bases for the United States because compilation and capture criteria historically varied, along with climate, during the period of data collection over the various terrain types throughout the country. This paper demonstrates an automated workflow that is being tested in a high-performance computing environment by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to map natural drainage density patterns at the 1:24,000-scale (24K) for the conterminous United States. Hydrographic network drainage patterns may be extracted from elevation data to guide corrections...

ARAMANI – Decision-Support Tool for Selecting Optimal Participatory Mapping Method

Abstract: Participatory mapping is an emerging practice in the community development discourse. With its roots in the Participatory Rural Appraisal, it brings active involvement of the community and subjectivity of non-cartographers into the spotlight. The crucial question is how one can choose the most optimal method for participatory mapping, taking into account the specific needs and assets of the community. In this paper, the author presents the ARAMANI tool, expert knowledge-based decision support system operating with 10 participatory mapping methods and experience of 172 survey responders. ARAMANI tool allows users to describe their community assets and needs while combining them with a value-based system for deciding which method to select. The tool is designed as a user-friendly webpage with guidelines and examples of best practices for each method.

Maps as Knowledge Aggregators: from Renaissance Italy Fra Mauro to Web Search Engines

Abstract: Mediaeval and Renaissance maps of the world were and worked as knowledge aggregators. The cosmographers identified, selected and re-edited information about hundreds of places from a variety of literary, iconographic and oral sources, and synoptically re-organized them in place names, cartouches, and drawings to be put on a map. This selection/aggregation process transformed the mappa mundi into a visual encyclopaedia (i.e. an all-around learning and thinking tool), where each geographical entry was able to generate narratives as a data gateway and an information hub for customs, commodities, and rulers of different peoples of the world. If we infer that the Renaissance people asked to the cosmographers to learn about the world as we go to search engines to find what we want, the reverse engineering of these works (as exemplified in this paper for the mid-fifteenth-century world map by Fra Mauro Camaldolese) can help to draw the connection between the traditional way to aggregate knowledge as a product (e...

General Principles for Automated Generation of Schematic Network Maps

Abstract: Usually, a street map contains various types of detailed information and appears to be crowded. As a result, to many users, a street map looks complicated and is not easy to read and follow. In fact, to a certain degree, too much detail makes the map uninformative and noisy. The London tube map, called a schematic or topological map in some literature, has often been cited as an excellent example of a simplified map. Algorithms have been developed by researchers to automate the generation of schematic maps for road networks. However, it is found that there is still a lack of defined general principles and here four general principles have been formulated for schematisation – the Principle of the Preservation of the Topological Relationship; the Principle of the Preservation of the Main Structure of the Line Network; the Principle of Relativity in Position; and the Principle of Relativity in Length. The first two are the principles of preservation: these two should never be violated. The last two are princ...

Legal Issues in Mapping Traditional Knowledge: Digital Cartography in the Canadian North

Abstract: Digital cartography offers great potential for mapping the traditional knowledge of indigenous communities. This is particularly so because of the close relationship between such knowledge and traditional lands. Yet the mapping of traditional knowledge also raises distinct legal and ethical considerations which should be at the forefront in the design and implementation of indigenous digital cartography projects. This paper examines these considerations through the lens of digital atlases jointly created by Inuit communities and Carleton University’s Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre (GCRC).

An Ontology of the Submarine Relief for Analysis and Representation on Nautical Charts

Abstract: A nautical chart is a kind of map used to describe the seafloor morphology and shoreline of adjacent lands. One of its main purposes is to guarantee safety of navigation. As a consequence, the construction of a nautical chart follows very specific rules. The cartographer has to select and highlight undersea features according to their relevance to navigation. In an automated process, the system must be able to identify and classify these features from the terrain model. This paper aims therefore to define ontologies of the submarine relief and nautical chart that will be at the root of a model-oriented generalization process. To the best of our knowledge, no ontology has been defined to formalize the geographical and cartographic objects for nautical chart representation. Thus, a bottom-up approach was developed to extract and model knowledge derived from standards established by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and cartographers’ expertise. The submarine relief ontology formalize...

Equal-Area Projections of the Triaxial Ellipsoid: First Time Derivation and Implementation of Cylindrical and Azimuthal Projections for Small Solar System Bodies

Abstract: Many small solar system bodies such as asteroids or small satellites have irregular shapes, often approximated by the reference surface of a triaxial ellipsoid. Map projections for the triaxial ellipsoid are needed to present the incoming data in the form of maps. In this paper the formulae of equal-area cylindrical and azimuthal projections of the triaxial ellipsoid were derived and practically implemented for the first time using as an example the asteroid 253 Mathilde. This paper is the final in a series of papers devoted to all main classes of projections of the triaxial ellipsoid. Before this, the authors obtained equidistant along meridians projection and Jacobi conformal projection for the triaxial ellipsoid.

Testing the Usability of OpenStreetMap's iD Tool

Abstract: The objective of this study is to investigate the usability of the iD editor of OpenStreetMap (OSM). To this end a usability test with 18 participants has been conducted. The participants were given mapping tasks to complete using iD and observed with the thinking aloud method as well as screen recording and mouse/keyboard logging. Additionally, the test persons were interviewed after each test. The data gathered were analysed with regard to key usability criteria such as learnability, efficiency, error tolerance, and subjective user satisfaction. The outcome of this study is the identification of usability issues from which possible improvements of the tool have been derived. The study shows that iD is an overall usable tool for novice users, but still shows opportunities for improvement especially in terms of learnability and error handling.

Effective Online Mapping and Map Viewer Design for the Senior Population

Abstract: Geographical information is connected to everyday life in many ways. Web cartography has made geospatial data more available to the public. In the next few years, the average age of the population will be over 51 years, with more than 15% of the population over the age of 65 years. The fact that the senior population is increasing suggests that online mapping and map viewer design should be aware of the senior population’s visual restrictions, as well as restrictions of other potential map users, including colour-vision-impaired users. This paper describes the senior population’s visual restrictions that can be compared with colour-vision-impaired users and provides guidelines with regard to online mapping and map viewer design for this growing segment of the elderly population.

Towards a Deeper Understanding of Cartographic Text Visualisation: Assessment of User Preferences and Colour Influence

Abstract: The main goal of this research is to investigate the influence of a map’s background colour on user preferences regarding labels’ typography, including their size, shape, orientation and texture. Four sets of backgrounds were tested: blank maps, grey scale, hot colours and cold colours. The foreground of these maps is populated with name labels, which are associated with point objects or areal objects. Bertin’s visual variables were applied to this set of name labels, both separately and in combination. User preferences of different typographic variations were registered and compared on the basis of different background colours using a one-way ANOVA. The results indicated that the typographic design of the map labels should not be adapted according to the map’s background colour.

Symbolization and Generalization to Map Water Pipe Data Flow and Water Quality at Different Scales

Abstract: Mapping drinking water flow is a real challenge not only to detect water leaks but also to control the quality of the water. In France, 900,000 km of water pipe serves 99% of the population. A recent law imposes the mapping of these pipelines on a known geographical system with a planar positional accuracy from 0.4 to 1.5 m according to the age and type of the pipeline. Wireless sensors and models based on computational fluid mechanics (CFD) allow to study flow and to reconstruct parameters such as velocity, pressure and a chemical concentration at each point. This information can be used to detect leaks and to control the concentration of chlorine or other chemical products. However, this information is not easy to map on GIS due to the small width of water pipe and the very high quantity of points necessary for data flow computation. In this research work, we propose solutions to map this information at different levels of detail with other information such as roads and buildings. We first propose to us...

Automated Generation of Schematic Network Maps Adaptive to Display Sizes

Abstract: Schematic maps have been popularly used for the representation of metro (or underground) lines and nowadays have also been used for the representation of other network maps. This paper presents a strategy for automated generation of schematic network maps for different display sizes, based on a redistribution of line density. This strategy consists of three steps: (a) estimation of spatial density of the network maps, (b) automated redistribution of line density in order to improve map clarity, for different display sizes, and (c) automated generation of schematic representations. An experimental evaluation has been carried out by using two sets of real-life network data. The results indicate that this strategy is able to generate schematic maps with much improved clarity for different display sizes and well-preserved map recognition.

Hypercube-Based Visualization Architecture for Web-Based Environmental Geospatial Information Systems

Abstract: The geospatial field significantly influences the development of the environmental domain, including a wide range of geospatial and cartographic information systems, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Multimedia Atlas Information Systems (MAIS) and more recently web-based GIS (Web-GIS). In this context, we introduce web-based environmental geospatial information systems (Web-EGIS) as a special case of Web-GIS, aiming to integrate the functionalities of geospatial information systems with the enormous quantity of specialized, distributed and highly heterogeneous environmental geo-referenced data and services. We define three main characteristics of the Web-EGIS. The first is a generic hypercube-based data organization and visualization. The next characteristic is a standard-based, three-tier service-oriented architecture. The third and last characteristic is the traceability of the architectural and design decisions, for which we introduce the new concept of an ‘Environmental Application Context...

Fifty Years of The Cartographic Journal

Abstract: The Cartographic Journal was established a year after the founding of the British Cartographic Society in 1963 and so 2014 marked 50 years since the first, general-distribution journal of cartography in English was published. This paper offers a brief account of its genesis and its development in reflecting and shaping the leading themes in cartographic research over the years, and explains how the Society's flagship publication and an official journal of the ICA (International Cartographic Association) has maintained its position at the forefront of academic publishing in cartography.

Towards Better WMS Maps Through the Use of the Styled Layer Descriptor and Cartographic Conflict Resolution for Linear Features

Abstract: The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Map Service (WMS) and Styled Layer Descriptor (SLD) standards define a way of dynamically producing maps from vector data. However, this dynamic process often results in maps that are not easily readable when the underlying data are automatically represented at smaller scales than the original data were intended for. Fortunately, the SLD rules can be decoded, the symbolization rules translated into geometrical features, and cartographic conflicts detected and partially solved. The conflicting features can be identified based on the use of few basic geospatial analysis functions. After a solution that minimizes these conflicts emerges, new SLD rules are generated that attempt to visually solve the cartographic conflicts. The new SLD rules can then be applied on-demand by a cartographic proxy server that rewrites the incoming GetMap requests to use the new SLD rules. The process for improving the WMS cartographic output has several stages, grouped into preparatory st...

Adaptive Relative Motion Representation of Space–Time Trajectories

Abstract: Many devices are now geared towards collecting spatiotemporal data on a massive scale. Trajectory data of objects form a large component of this resource and even the smaller trajectory datasets are a representational challenge for cartography. We present a method that regularizes mapped trajectory data into an object × time interval matrix to better compare the direction characteristics of objects. We use a simulated annealing method to optimize the order of object rows at a specific time interval so that objects that are close together in space tend to be close together in the matrix. We also graphically represent the distance between objects and the general direction the object is travelling in the matrix, which is called Adaptive Relative Motion (ARM). Finally, we demonstrate the implementation of ARM through a case study of dolphin trajectories.

The Society of University Cartographers – Its Growth and International Status

Abstract: An attempt to capture and reflect the history, evolution, nature and status of the Society of Cartographers (SoC). Although a small organization numerically, the skill, expertise and dedication of its active members, though summer schools, technical journal, newsletters and especially its rich and informative website, are providing access to knowledge and experience both nationally and globally. This influence is also reflected through the direct involvement of leading SoC office-holders in other national and international mapping organisations. The SoC clearly punches above its weight. It has made a difference to the world of mapping, and continues to do so

Feature Definitions in Feature Catalogues

Abstract: First, an overview of the main terms used in the paper is presented, such as feature catalogue, object, feature, and so on. Then INSPIRE (INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in Europe) Directive, STOKIS (Službeni topografski i kartografski informacijski sustav RH), ATKIS (Amtliches topographisch-kartographisches Informationssystem) and FACC (Feature and Attribute Coding Catalogue) are explained. The main section of the paper refers to the problem of defining features in feature catalogues. Adequate solutions to this problem are offered on the basis of conducted research. An overall acceptable model for feature definition is offered. The importance of the proposed model for defining features is explained on the feature ‘avenue of trees’. The research results are applicable in countries attempting to create their first feature catalogues with the aim of developing a topographic information system, or in those wanting to produce a new edition of their existing feature catalogue. Since the suggested model ...

Cross-Media Mapping – Using Optical Codes to Link Paper Maps to Digital Information

Abstract: The linking of printed material to digital forms of interaction, which is currently increasingly being done through the implementation of image recognition software, for example, on smartphones, opens new perspectives for the use of maps. The cartographic integration of Quick Response (QR) codes has turned out to be particularly advantageous for digital information transfer due to the easy creation of QR codes, the broad use of the readers, and the map users’ familiarity with QR codes. The example of an edited university site plan shows how paper maps can be thematically enriched by means of QR codes.

Fifty Years of Cartography at the University of Glasgow

Abstract: The year 2013 saw the celebration of 50 years since the first taught programme in cartography was launched at the University of Glasgow by the then Department of Geography. This was in the form of a 1-year postgraduate diploma (PGD) in cartography. It was the first specialized university programme in cartography in the UK. Many changes in programme titles and content have taken place during the subsequent half century, but the focus on a combination of practical skills and theoretical understand continues to underpin the teaching of cartography. In the interim, courses and programmes in cartography at other colleges and universities have come and gone, and programmes focussing on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are widespread, but Glasgow currently offers the only programme in the UK to retain cartography in its title.

Fifty Years of the British Cartographic Society, 1963–2013

Abstract: The British Cartographic Society has been in existence for 50 years. During that time it has sought to pursue its central aim of promoting the art and science of cartography through a variety of publications and events to its members and beyond. The Society has been on a journey of continual development in response to the way maps are created and used. In this short history we touch on some of the factors that have influenced its evolution and what the future may hold.

Book and Atlas Reviews

Abstract: The beautifully designed and thoroughly engaging Historical Atlas of Maine is a long-awaited contribution to the history of Maine, New England, and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. The brainchild ...

How Large Was the Earth in the Sixteenth Century? The Length of the Degree of Latitude in the Iberian Cartography of the Renaissance

Abstract: In this paper, the results of a cartometric analysis of a number of Portuguese and Spanish charts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are presented and conclusions are drawn concerning the length of the degree of latitude adopted in the Iberian nautical cartography of the Renaissance. Under the light of what we know about the navigational and charting methods of the time, a new interpretation of the textual and cartographic sources is proposed. Rather than being the result of technical considerations or precise measurements, the adoption of the various standards during this long period appears to be no more than the echoes of the traditional models of the Earth and of the political disputes between Portugal and Spain.