-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: Using maps for research
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:56:11 -0400
From: Grabach, Kenneth A. Mr. <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship <[log in to unmask]>
My first thought was to send to Mike individually, but I think it is
useful to share to the list.
Some quick thoughts on how I see maps being used by researchers. While
this is at an academic institution, these uses often can apply to 'real
world' situations, such as with fact checking, etc.
And some are not so obvious until the need is examined more fully.
Architecture students use topographic maps here for site information for
their projects, whether for buildings, or for landscape architecture.
They need to see a visual representation of the site, its slope,
proximity to other features for visibility or for hazard risk. These
students also use County Soil Survey reports from U.S. Agriculture Dept.
Soils, slope, and other aspects of a site are discussed, and
complement map data very well.
Topographic maps are used, along with aerial and satellite imagery, for
landscape studies. Biological studies include animal and plant ecology,
habitats loss and change, land cover studies, and others.
Maps provided an excellent way for the New York Times to explain what
geological processes occurred during the off-shore earthquake of Japan
last Friday. They also used maps to show where damage occurred, to
population centers, to the nuclear power plants, and other infrastructure.
This is simply one example of the use of maps for risk analysis, as
well. The scientists studying such topics use maps as well for their
analytical work. And the visual form makes it easy for communicating to
others, planners, policy-makers, the public, about events, proposed
projects, etc.
GIS uses maps to study many of these topics, and draws on imagery from a
variety of sources to make a visual presentation of data. Data that
otherwise has to be presented in tables makes analysis much easier when
presented in cartographic form.
Gazetteers, and their electronic equivalent, name servers, help verify
place names. What historic equivalents (Agram, Zagreb), linguistic
variations (Prague, Praha), among others, are used for the same place.
They can also be used to verify a locality from others with the same or
similar name (my town, Oxford, for example, or all the Springfield's in
the US).
And as more 2010 Census data gets released in the coming months, maps
will make many aspects of the statistics easier to understand. I see it
like the differences in use of a digital clock as opposed to an analog
clock face. A digital clock tells you what time it is, 10:50 am. An
analog clock shows you the current time, shows you elapsed time since an
event, and what time it will be soon (10 minutes to 11? Yikes, I have to
be at the Help Desk then!)
I like books, both novels and non-fiction set in real places, that
present maps to show those places. If they do not, I turn to other maps
so I can see where the places are. I gain new understanding and
appreciation for what I am reading. This is the function of a reference
map, and they are useful for many applications.
Ken Grabach <[log in to unmask]>
Maps Librarian Phone: 513-529-1726
Miami University Libraries
Oxford, Ohio 45056 USA
-----Original Message-----
From: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Angie Cope
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 10:26 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Using maps for research
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Using maps for research
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:52:48 -0400
From: Michael Fry <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship <[log in to unmask]>
Hi,
I'm teaching a class next month to co-workers here at Nat Geo ("Mapping
and GIS Research") and am looking for useful examples of how maps and
geospatial resources can be used by writers, researchers, fact checkers,
producers, etc. I intend to cover the essential basics (e.g., scale,
projection, legends and symbology, dates, map types) but can't spend too
much time on that stuff because a lot of my audience is already pretty
savvy about it. So I'd like to spend time talking about how maps can be
useful--perhaps in unexpected ways--to their work. I have some ideas and
examples from my own experience, but am hoping you all have favorite
stories/anecdotes/lessons that would help. In short, I'd like to
illustrate how geospatial resources--maps in general, specific map
types, gazetteers, etc.--can provide info that some other resources don't.
Thanks for anything you can suggest!
mf
--
Michael Fry
Senior Map Librarian
National Geographic Society
1145 17th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
202.857.7098
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