Where is the Map Use Commission of the ICA?
The Many Dimensions of Map Use
There are many dimensions to an understanding of how and why maps are used and what we might do to improve on the ways maps are used. I have chosen to approach the organization of this topic by examining five dimensions of map use:
1 - the nature of individual map users
2 - communities of map users
3 - the environments in which maps are used
4 - the functions / tasks for which maps are used
5 - the societal aspects of map use and abuse
These pages were first written as one of the activities of the Map Use Commission of the International Cartographic Association. Throughout the expression 'we' reflects the joint effort to build these pages. I toggle back and forth between we and I in this work. Thanks to my colleagues who helped build these pages.
Throughout we provide citations to specific examples of
map use in our literature, on the World Wide Web and at other places across the Internet.
Further, we provide annotated bibliographic citations to some of the more significant
items in the map use literature. And, it is my goal to provide unannotated bibliographic
citations for a larger body of literature related to the many dimensions of map use.
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for more information contact: Dr. James R. Carter, Illinois State University,
jrcarter@ilstu.edu