Geography skills: data presentation

Geography skills: data presentation

1. Field Sketches & Photographs

   • USES
     • For anything you want an image of 
   • STRENGTHS
     • Good memory tool, especially if accompanied with detailed annotations.
   • WEAKNESSES
     • -Only show one point of view at one time.  -may not be accurate representation of an area.

2. Sketch maps

   • USES
     • When rough map of study site is needed.
   • STRENGTHS
     • -Good memory tool with detailed annotations.
   • WEAKNESSES
     • May not be accurate representation.

3. Maps with proportional symbols

   • USES
     • Bars, pies & symbols used + located in relevant place.
   • STRENGTHS
     • Good visual representation of data.
   • WEAKNESSES
     • Scale needs to be right so symbol fits.

4. Flow, desire & trip lines

   • USES
     • FLOW LINE - represent movement along a given route. Variable width along given route.
     • DESIRE LINES - straight line of a map to represent movement of goods & people from region to region (not specific route)
   • WEAKNESSES
     • maps lack precise interpretation unless statistical data is added -only interested in source and destination areas -could be improved by altering width according to data.
   • STRENGTHS
     • -GOOD TO SHOW DIRECTION AND SIZE OF MOVEMENT -able to give a good visual impression of movement

5. Choropleth maps

   • USES
     • Used for land values, population densities & crop yields, but useful for a wide range of data
   • STRENGTHS
     • VISUALLY EFFECTIVE, CAN SEE CLEAR SPACIAL PATTERNS
   • WEAKNESSES
     • -whole of an area with one shading pattern appears to have same density with no variations in it, but in reality not usually the case & will be variations in each area. -gives the impression that the density changes abruptly at the boundary line of each area but this would not happen in reality & changes more likely to be gradual. -Difficult to draw lines accurately - time consuming with colouring method. -shades of colouring hard to achieve, with more than one colour used.

6. Isoline maps

   • USES
     • can be used for any data set where there are specific locations -EXAMPLES ARE CONTOUR MAPS
   • STRENGTHS
     • -data can be represented without artificial area boundaries. There fore changes in value occur smoothly + not abruptly -makes maps useful for interpreting general trends in distribution
   • WEAKNESSES
     • -Difficult to construct -some element of guess work involved in the positioning of isolines between values. Makes them subjective, especially if there is lack of known values.

Imágenes y archivos del mapa