User Evaluation Study for Cartograms

(a) Map of US states (b) Dorling Cartogram of US states by GDP

We are conducting a study on the effectiveness of cartograms. A cartogram (also called value-by-area map) is a map in which some thematic mapping variable (e.g., population) is represented by land area on the map. In "Dorling" cartograms, each state is represented by a circle; the bigger the circle, the larger the data value. For example, the above Dorling cartogram shows the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of each state in the US. In the cartogram, the state California (CA) is the largest circle, indicating that California has the largest GDP among all states in US.

In the following section, we will introduce you to different techniques for encoding two different variables in cartograms. Thank you for agreeing to take part in this study to evaluate cartograms. Please click 'Start' to begin.