João Vitor Meza Bravo

Designing across map use contexts: a research agenda

ABSTRACT The explosion of map use in the past few decades as part of everyday activities, accelerated through the digital production and dissemination of maps and the availability of low-cost, location-aware devices, has made the job of cartographers and map display designers more challenging. Yet, how do these recent changes affect effective map design? Can we accurately predict which designs will work for a given context? We investigate the concepts of design transferability and context and their potential to help us create map design outcomes that are effective for varying map use situations. We then present a model for operationalizing map use context to support evaluating map design transferability and pose several open research questions that need to be answered to support operationalizing map use context. This is followed by a research agenda that identifies research opportunities related to key research needs that will underpin transferable map design.

Mental Categorisation and Classification Process of Information in Maps

Abstract Logical reasoning is a tool which man uses to find parameters and link them spatially, and this allows construction of a mental model of the space by means of maps. The mental categorisation and classification processes of the information contained in the maps help in the quest for understanding the operation of reasoning used in mental projections of space. In this research, applying testing of open questions based on mental categorisation theory, an analysis was carried out. Six volunteers were interviewed and the analysis revealed they used a basic level of mental categorisation or partonomy, whose strategy is similar to that of the children. le raisonnement logique est un outil que l’on utilise pour trouver des parametres et les lier spatialement. Cet outil permet de réaliser la construction d’un modèle mental de l’espace à l’aide de cartes. La catégorisation mentale et le processus de classification de l’information contenue dans une carte aide à la recherche nécessaire à la compréhension du raisonnement utilisé pendant la projection dans l’espace. Dans cette recherche, qui teste des questions ouvertes et qui est basée sur la théorie de la catégorisation mentale, nous procédons à des analyses. Six volontaires ont été interviewés. Ils utilisent un niveau basic de catégorisation mental – ou partonimie – dont la stratégie est similaire à celle des enfants.

A Review of Research Investigations Related to User-Centred Design for Geo-Information Products

This article is based on our participation in the workshop “Envisioning the Future of Cartographic Research,” one of the ICC 2015 pre-conferences. In order to answer the question posed to the workshop participants—“How can we best develop a systematic understanding of the intersection between human abilities (perception, cognition, affective), design decisions (graphic and interactions), and map use context?”—we realized that from the results of some of our research projects, it may be possible to build a systematic understanding of human abilities, design decisions, and map use context under the assumption that the design of a geo-information product could be developed in agreement with the user-centred design (UCD) approach. This article aims, then, to present some results of our research projects, the main goal of which is to develop investigations that are defined based on the relationship between geo-information solutions and the theory of cartography and geoscience. Those projects have been in development for the last 10 years, and here we describe six of them: two at the doctoral level and four at master’s level.

Toponímias da rede de drenagem. Forma indireta de resgate histórico

O objetivo desta pesquisa e utilizar as toponimias dos canais de drenagem demarcados nas cartas topograficas para identificar elementos historicos. Atraves da analise das toponimias dos canais de drenagem pode-se inferir sobre a historia local, passado religioso, uma forte presenca indigena, a alocacao de uma comunidade quilombola, ou o nivel de diversidade da flora e fauna

A COMPATIBILIDADE DOS METADADOS DISPONÍVEIS EM SISTEMAS VGI COM O PERFIL DE METADADOS EMPREGADO NA INFRAESTRUTURA NACIONAL DE DADOS ESPACIAIS DO BRASIL (INDE-BR)

As informacoes geograficas voluntarias tem sido investigadas por pesquisadores e agencias oficiais de mapeamento, os quais tentam compreender como individuos sem conhecimento formalizado em cartografia podem contribuir para a construcao das bases cartograficas oficiais. Em paises como o Brasil, onde o investimento nos servicos relativos a informacao espacial e escasso, as informacoes geograficas voluntarias tambem sao interessantes alternativas para incrementar a velocidade de atualizacao cartografica, pois sao de livre acesso e constantemente revisadas. Neste contexto, a Infraestrutura Nacional de Dados Espaciais do Brasil (INDE-BR), no seu papel de facilitar e ordenar o acesso as bases de dados espaciais oficias, tambem pode se beneficiar do uso de informacoes prestadas por usuarios voluntarios na tarefa de enriquecer o conjunto de dados disponivel em seu banco. Dessa maneira, elaborou-se o presente artigo, no qual investiga-se a compatibilidade das informacoes geograficas voluntarias com o perfil de metadados oficial do Brasil, adotado na estruturacao da INDE-BR. Para tanto, foram selecionados sistemas de informacoes geograficas voluntarias os quais tiveram seus metadados analisados e comparados aos padroes adotados no documento Perfil de Metadados Geoespaciais do Brasil. Dos resultados, pode-se dizer que os padroes adotados pelo sistema OpenStreetMap sao compativeis com o padrao adotado pelo Perfil MGB. Esse resultado aponta para a necessidade de se investigar as informacoes geograficas voluntarias para que se tenha mais uma potencial ferramenta a favorecer o crescimento social, economico e politico de uma nacao, assim como o Brasil.