Juergens Carsten
Geomatics Group, Institute of Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
KN J Cartogr Geogr Inf. 2020;70(4):155-161. doi: 10.1007/s42489-020-00057-w. Epub 2020 Oct 23.
Since the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic is a global phenomenon, many scientists and research organizations create thematic maps to visualize and understand the spatial spread of the disease and to inform mankind. Nowadays, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and web mapping technologies enable people to create digital maps on demand. This fosters the permanent update of COVID-19 map products, even by non-cartographers, and their publication in news, media and scientific publications. With the ease and speed of map-making, many map creators seem to forget about the fundamental principles of good and easy-to-read thematic choropleth maps, which requires geo-spatial data literacy. Geo-spatial data literacy is an important skill, to be able to judge the reliability of spatial data, and to create ingenuous thematic maps. This contribution intends to make people of disciplines other than those that are map-related aware of the power of thematic maps and how one can create trustworthy thematic maps instead of misleading thematic maps which could, in a worst case, lead to misinterpretation.
由于2019冠状病毒病(COVID-19)大流行是一个全球现象,许多科学家和研究组织绘制专题地图,以可视化和理解该疾病的空间传播情况,并为人类提供信息。如今,地理信息系统(GIS)和网络地图技术使人们能够按需创建数字地图。这促进了COVID-19地图产品的持续更新,甚至非制图人员也能做到,并且这些地图产品会在新闻、媒体和科学出版物中发布。由于制图变得轻松快捷,许多地图创建者似乎忘记了制作优质且易于阅读的专题分级统计图的基本原则,而这需要具备地理空间数据素养。地理空间数据素养是一项重要技能,它能让人判断空间数据的可靠性,并制作出真实的专题地图。本文旨在让非地图相关专业的人士了解专题地图的强大作用,以及如何创建值得信赖的专题地图,而非可能在最坏情况下导致误解的误导性专题地图。