Wikipedia:Using maps and analogous media: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:35, 27 November 2022

Revision as of 23:47, 2 December 2022

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*Many cartographers intentionally introduce minor errors in inconspicuous locations as a form of [[copyright trap]]. Likewise, rarely are such introductions notable.

*Many companies publish a yearly edition of a map, and include the year as part of the title (e.g. 2009 Road Atlas). As these have to be drafted in advance, often times the cartagropher will draw projects under construction as completed, or proposed projects as under construction. This is an effort to increase the shelf life of the map, so as to not be obsolete before the year on the edition name has finished. (e.g. a highway expected to be completed by 2009 may be drawn as complete in the 2009 edition, even though it was still under construction when the map was drafted) This can introduce another source of error in an otherwise reliable map, should a project be cancelled or significantly changed. Such errors can be detected by comparing multiple editions of the same map.

*Any cultural bias apparent in a map (such as a disputed boundary or a territory claimed by two entities) should be clearly explained in a neutral fashion. For example, Wikipedia's article about the [[Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute]] features side-by-side maps showing the rival naming conventions used by [[Argentina]] and the [[United Kingdom]] for the named features of the islands, without implying which is correct.

*Editors who use maps should be aware that maps covering large areas almost always have one type of distortion or another, depending on the [[map projection]] used. Care should be taken to select a map whose projection is appropriate for the purpose to which it is being put.