Radek BARVÍŘ, Vít VOŽENÍLEK, Alena VONDRÁKOVÁ

Map load – approaches to definition and measures

Barvíř, R., Voženílek, V., Vondráková, A.: Map load – approaches to definition and measures. Kartografické listy, 2019, 27 (2).

Abstract: Map load is a term used to quantify amount of map contents and map complexity. It has been defined in many ways and there is no general agreement on how it shall be calculated or measured. Most researchers agree on the distinction of graphic (visual) and intellectual (in-formation) complexity, while the others argue it is not possible to separate one from the other in the process of map reading. This paper aims to collect definitions of map load and compare them to find differences in map load perception. To achieve this, an evaluation of map load of a simple sample map was done to determine how the definitions are relevant and practically usable. The experiment showed that assessment of map load based on map symbol area computations is highly influenced by large polygonal map symbols and cannot effectively delineate the complexity of a wide range of cartographic visualizations. New potential approaches for map load metrics are suggested at the end.

Keywords: map load, map complexity, map language, definition, measures