Good Map – Bad Map. Interdisciplinary analysis of collaborative mapmaking by prosumers
ISBN 978-85-88783-11-9
Authors
1Moser, J.; 2Hoyer, T.; 3Ipatow, N.
1LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY Email: j_moser@ifl-leipzig.de
2LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY Email: t_hoyer@ifl-leipzig.de
3LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY Email: n_ipatow@ifl-leipzig.de
Abstract
We as cartographers experience at first hand the results of the ongoing process of the fast digital-technological development. Map-making is no longer reserved to experts of cartography. At first GIS and today especially the Internet provide many tools to produce maps by non-academics, so-called prosumers. Until now we do not know exactly: • What are the use cases where maps are produced or edited by non-academics? • How will the maps that are built up collaboratively be understood by prosumers and other consumers? • Will these players look critically at the content? • Which forms of maps are preferred by prosumers and why? • Which forms of semiotics and map language do these maps show? In our interdisciplinary research project we are dealing with these questions to add some special points to the theory of cartography regarding social cartography as well as the theory of cartographic communication. Contrary to the common finding that digital media provide a much broader set of cartographic presentation methods, our project acts on the assumption that map-making by non-professionals in the Internet is strictly limited to only a few tools. We want to show examples of different map styles and find a typology for them. Additionally the presentation will provide some methods for an interdisciplinary analysis of these collaborative maps by geographers, cartographers, cognitive scientists, sociologists, as well as information and communication scientists. We want to suggest a classification of maps and forms of collaborative mapping that can be found in digital media, especially in the Internet. Finally we would like to discuss possibilities of adding some aspects of social cartography to the theory of cartography.