Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
adequate, but atlas cartography they perceive as slightly more expensive; the most
important parameters when buying cartographic work are the topic, the quality of
cartographic treatment, previous experience and recommendations, quality of
workmanship, price and design and the least important are advertising products
(presented by map users in on-line questionnaire); users are willing to pay a higher
amount for scientific atlases; users consider the offer of cartographic atlases only
slightly above average, while the producers of cartographic products believe that
they fully reflect user requirements; data sets costs and commercial software for
GIS and graphic design producers consider as rather expensive, the price of
hardware and storage is adequate according to them.
Specificity of atlas cartography is higher economic requirements than in the case
of any other cartographic products. In the field of school atlases (with the guidance
of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic), the market
is relatively stable and in the case of scientific thematic atlases, the majority of
projects is currently directly or indirectly financed from the budget of the state or
from grants under auspices of the European Union (specific situation in the Czech
cartography, not general worldwide situation).
Ethical aspect includes an assessment of the values and principles that helps to
create human behavior. In the context of map-making this aspect mostly deals with
the evaluation of individual processes in the cartographic production: from the data
gain, through the use of program resources and symbol sets, to the realization of a
particular topic in the form of map. Ethical aspects can be closely related to the
legislative aspects, such as abuse of know-how or copyright infringement. Ethical
rules are valid even beyond the legislative measures.
Analysis of the ethical aspect led to the following information: copyright status
and legal ethics in cartography is not uniform; there are “codes of ethics” and it is
always necessary to become familiar with the rules applicable to the area in which
cartographic creation is realized.
In the atlas production an ethical aspect has not specifics that would not apply to
other cartographic works. Any violation of ethical principles in the case of carto-
graphic atlas, however, may occur stronger or more extensive. It is always neces-
sary to avoid creating any map in controversial circumstances in relation to the
ethical-moral principles of society.
Geoinformatic aspect in the concept of non-technological aspects represents
particularly the knowledge and skills of geographic information systems—using a
variety of geospatial tools, for example for the realization of analysis and synthesis
of data processed, leading to a previously unknown information, which are then
presented through the cartographic work.
Detailed analysis of the geoinformatic aspect and the evaluation of case study
has led to the following information: geoinformatic aspect involves the use of
knowledge and skills of geographic information systems, but very important factor
is the education of specialist who works with the software; this aspect stands on the
border of technological and non-technological aspects; the importance of geo-
informatic aspect significantly increases with the content intensity of cartographic
works and the manner of its preparation and cartographic production.
