How are maps used in research? An exploratory review of PhD dissertations

Serena Coetzee,Sanet Carow,Lourens Snyman

doi:10.5194/ica-adv-3-3-2021

Serena Coetzee, Sanet Carow + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5194/ica-adv-3-3-2021

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Abstract

Abstract. Maps are a powerful medium for communicating research. Tools for analysing geospatial data and preparing maps are now readily available and widely used in research. Despite this, concerns are being raised over the quality of maps produced with online and desktop mapping products. As academics and supervisors of postgraduate students, we conducted an exploratory study to determine if and how these concerns apply to maps in PhD dissertations. We reviewed just over 1,000 dissertations published in 2015 and 2017 at three universities. Maps for indicating locations or study areas were used in a diverse range of topics, confirming our reliance on maps to communicate information about geographic space. Maps that communicated scientific results were prevalent in the natural sciences and in the humanities, and in these cases, the dissertations included a large number of maps. We provide a qualitative description of problems identified in the dissertations, which highlight challenges with the accurate and responsible presentation of scientific results in maps. The accumulation of minor inaccuracies on maps, especially if one result is based on another, can have serious consequences for scientific knowledge production. Future work could review maps in PhD dissertations to inform guidelines for preparing and evaluating maps to be included in dissertations.

Highlights

Maps have the power to provide spatial context and to graphically represent and simplify complex phenomena
As academics and supervisors of postgraduate students, we asked ourselves if and how these concerns apply to maps in PhD dissertations
To find answers to our questions, we reviewed PhD dissertations published in 2015 and 2017 at three universities, with the following questions in mind: In which disciplines are maps used? For which purpose are the maps used, e.g. to indicate location, to provide spatial context, or to present scientific results? Did the author prepare the maps or were they sourced from a third party? We identified maps with interesting applications as well as maps with obvious errors for further discussion and to consider whether there is a reason for concern regarding the quality of maps in PhDs

Summary

Introduction

Maps have the power to provide spatial context and to graphically represent and simplify complex phenomena. As such they are a powerful communication medium to contextualize research and to present complex scientific results. Primarily by graphic symbols that represent or stand for something else (Tyner, 2014). Tools for analysing and visualizing such data are readily available and are widely used in research. Concerns are being raised about the quality of maps produced with online and desktop mapping products (Wood, 1968; Medeiros, 2016; Kraak et al, 2018), and whether these maps accurately convey the information they present (Hay et al, 2013; Robinson & Petchenik, 1975; Robinson 2018). As academics and supervisors of postgraduate students, we asked ourselves if and how these concerns apply to maps in PhD dissertations

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