CED topic map
1.1 Maps1.2 Geographic Data1.3 Power of Data1.4 Spatial Concepts1.5 Human-Environment Interaction1.6 Scales of Analysis1.7 Regional Analysis
High-priority distinctions
- Reference vs. thematic maps: where features are versus the pattern of a selected variable.
- GIS vs. GPS vs. remote sensing: analyze layers, determine location, or collect imagery/data from a distance.
- Site vs. situation: characteristics of the place itself versus its relative location and connections.
- Map scale vs. scale of analysis: map distance relationship versus the level at which data are examined.
- Formal, functional, and perceptual regions: shared trait, node/flow, or people's ideas.
Apply it
Do not stop at naming a choropleth map or defining scale. Explain what spatial pattern the evidence shows, why the pattern may occur, and how projection, classification, aggregation, or scale could affect the conclusion.