1. The influence of applied cartographic methods
on the map information perception
quantification for various groups of users
Alena VONDRÁKOVÁ
This presentation is co-financed by the
European Social Fund and the state
budget of the Czech Republic

2. Principal points of research
 lack of standardization or mandatory rules in cartography
 choice of method of cartographic visualization
depends on the opinion of the map author
 way of expressing the same information by different methods
of cartographic visualization leads to different user perception
 what can affect the perception of the map
 age, sex, education, previous experience, actual mood...
 maps have to help their users to better understand geospatial
relationships, not to confuse the user
 users have to get the information as quickly as possible
and as accurately as possible
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

3. Methods of cartographic visualization
 set of rules to express the spatial characteristics in the map
 often referred as:
methods of representation, means of expression, interpretive methods,
graphical representation, mapping expression, etc.
 many ways of distribution and classification of these methods
primary classification: point, line, area
thematic classification: physical- and socio-economic geography
thematic methods: choropleth, isarithmic , dot density,
dasymetric, topographic...
type of material: tactile 3D, plastic, paper, metal...
type of presentation: digital, analog, on-line, off-line...
 representatives of the Czech cartography:
Voženílek, Veverka, Konečný, Kaňok, Čapek, Drápela, Murdych...
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

4. Map information perception
Ways in which maps are read by users are crucial determinants
of the effectiveness of such maps. Board and Taylor, 1977
the influence of using different cartographic methods
of visualization on the information perception from a map
is something, that objectively exists
map information perception is individual
our aim is to objectify and quantify this user aspect
one of the possible solutions is offered by technology
of eye-tracking
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

5. Realization of the study
 SMI RED 250
 120 Hz, resolution 1680 × 1050 px
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

6. Realization of the study
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

7. Realization of the study
SMI Experiment Centre™
BeGaze™ Analysis software
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

8. Realization of the study
Statistical evaluation
 AOI characteristics, fixations, saccades, mouseclicks...
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

9. Realization of the study
Visual evaluation
HeatMap
GazePlot
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

10. Realization of the study
Individual interpretation
BeeSwarm
ScanPath
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

11. Realization of the study
Comparison of respondents
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

12. Realization of the study
Group evaluation
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

13. Preliminary results
Data processing
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

14. Preliminary results
 minimal influence of gender on the response time
 in total cartographers answered one second faster
 woman response was also one second earlier than man response
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

15. Preliminary results
 influence of cartographic education is significant
 difference in correct answers is 12% in cartographic education
and 5% between gender (women were more succesfull)
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

16. Significant differences
 difference between cartographers and non-cartographers
 problems with contour lines,
choropleth map and diagram map
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

17. Preliminary results
 the most suitable for the presentation of terrain
was method of colour hypsometry
 for the presentation of socio-economic data of uneployment
was the most appropriate diagram map
 for the presentation of demographical characeristic
was the most suitable method of diagram map
 big influence has also the choose of the type of chart
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

18. Conclusion
 some questions seems easy and in the result they
are the most difficult for respondents
 there are significant differences between sub-groups
of respondents identified by sex or cartographic education
 we can train people how to read maps
– but can people train cartographers how to create maps?
 it is needed to
validate maps
 it is needed to take
into consideration
the user aspects
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc

19. Discussion
 future tasks
 to make this experiment with regard to the age of respondents
 try to identify control mechanism in user behaviour
(time of verifikation answers that the user find some time period
before
the mouseclick – such as control of other possibilities in AOI)
 Using appropriate visualization methods can significantly
reduce the time needed for obtain required information.
Maps help their users to better understand geospatial
relationship...
Kraak and Ormeling, 2003
...and should not confuseConference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc
First InDOG Doctoral
them!

20. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
First InDOG Doctoral Conference, 29th October - 1st November 2012, Olomouc