Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
depends on education, but in particular on the level of professionalism of the map
user. User with no knowledge of visualization technologies for visualization of
uncertainty works with the map differently than a professional who has been
dealing with the issue for some time. This fact was confirmed by executed user
testing of designed visualizations of uncertainty executed at the Department of
Geoinformatics of the Palack
ยด
University in Olomouc, where there were
ascertained distinctive differences in the responses of individual respondents
(Brus
2013
). From the cartographic point of view, it is also important that there is
a difference between reading a map that includes uncertainty by a cartographer and
reader without cartographic education. A cartographer is able to distinguish fine
details and can focus on the technology of the visualization of uncertainty. Most end
users of maps including uncertainty are not cartographers from this point of view
and therefore, the fact that a cartographer reads the map differently is of no
importance during the design of visualization. Map reading is also influenced by
age and already mentioned education of the map reader. Scientific maps and
visualizations of uncertainty use complex cartographic methods which are com-
monly used by specialists, however, reading maps with uncertainty requires the user
to be well versed in the field. The user is in particular required to be familiar with
specific terminology. Terminology is necessary for understanding the studied
domain and, in particular, the specific character of the visualization of uncertainty
itself. This uncertainty is strongly connected with data and to understand the
visualization, the map reader must know these facts. Without the knowledge of
terminology, processes and specifications of specific data sets, the designed maps
are often illegible for the user. Therefore, the target group of users is key for the
selection of the visualization method, its complexity and the level of abstraction
needed to understand it.
Despite the issue of visualization users, the designed concept continues by the
issue of selection of the most convenient expressive tool. This part is connected
with two other criteria that are connected to each other. These are the volume of
conveyed information and the kind of spatial data. The stipulation of the level of
complexity of the map and the resulting volume of information must be based on
the already established principles. Recommendations can be also found in individ-
ual perception theories and mentioned principles of the visualization of informa-
tion. Subsequently, the contents of a map are distinctively influenced by the
objective of the map, which then also defines the selection of methods convenient
for visualization. The selection of specific methods must be in particular influenced
by the primarily depicted reality and by the amount of information that is to be
included in the map to fulfil the main objective of the map and from the point of
view of the visualization of uncertainty, to fulfil these objectives. The conclusions
from this consideration will significantly influence the overall amount of informa-
tion and therefore also graphical contents of the map. The selection of method for
the visualization of uncertainty is then subsequently directly depending upon the
selection of cartographic methods for the depiction of a phenomenon. The selection
of method is also determined by the criteria of evaluation of the kind of spatial data,
which is executed according to the character of the description of properties of
