Cartographic Perspectives, the peer-reviewed journal of the North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS), will soon publish its 56th issue. Over the years, CP, which began as a newsletter, has evolved into a journal documenting research and creative work on mapping, situated in the broader context of geospatial technologies. Research article foci include psychological evaluations of map elements, social theory and critical cartography, terrain rendering algorithms, the history of mapping, GIS and cartography, multimedia and multisensory mapping, educational issues, color, art and mapping, among many others. A methods section details practical and educational projects that enhance map making and learning. Visual Fields reproduces exemplary maps in color with commentary. Reviews of relevant books and software are included in each issue.
Ideas for new sections are being developed, including exploratory essays, poster-sized map inserts, and peer-reviewed maps and cartographic software. Cartographic Perspectives, its editorial board and myself, the new editor, are devoted to creative, engaging, and substantive content reflecting the diversity of mapping in today’s world.
Why a blog? Enhancing communication! I plan to post abstracts and summaries of articles, essays, methods pieces, and reviews in forthcoming issues of CP to this blog, each with its own entry. This will serve to promote the work published in CP and allow comments and responses to the work. I will also report on developments such as full text availability (via EBSCO [and maybe other services] sometime this year), calls for submissions – books/software to be reviewed, methods pieces, visual fields materials, etc.
I am committed to engaging more people in providing quality content for Cartographic Perspectives – academics, professionals, enthusiasts, hackers – anyone with an interests in maps and mapping. It is impossible to fit mapping into any single field or area of expertise, and my hope is to represent the diversity of work on mapping in Cartographic Perspectives.
Can you make full-text available via InfoTrac as well… we prefer that database to EBSCO, as many librarians do.
David: I will look into InfoTrac. The journal is not in a binding contract with Ebsco, so we can provide content to other full-text providers. Thanks for the suggestion.
Hi John
Excellent idea with the blog: Wow CP has become so hip!
The only minor comment: that SNAP preview thingy is a little annoying and seems not to go away even when trying to make it disappear…
I got rid of the SNAP popup from the site as it is annoying and sluggish. –John K.