MY NAME

Digital Map Poster (Map Portfolio)

MAP PORTFOLIO TEMPLATE

To get started right away, just tap any placeholder text (such as this) and start typing.

Methods

To apply any text formatting you see in this document with just a tap, on the Home tab of the ribbon, check out Style
The document uses headings to define each section for each map, by using defined
headings, your map portfolio becomes accessible to screen readers.

Results
This document is both a template and includes the formatting specifications for the GIS formative.
Each week’s practical includes instructions for creating one map. The results of the map can be pasted
into this document (replacing the existing picture), and the default text should be replaced with your
own. There is a maximum length as your formative submission should not exceed 5 pages. Minimum
font size is 12. More than 120 words for Methods/Results will create a problem.
1
MAP 2 TITLE
Summarize map (e.g. Choropleth map demonstrating X)

Methods
Indicate what software, plug-ins, tools you used. Summarize the decisions (thresholds) you made that
would have to be replicated for someone else to replicate your results. Keep this concise as each map
description (methods + results) must be under 150 words. It is possible some maps may be taller
than 5”, in which case you will need be more concise with your text.

Results
Tell your reader what your map shows. What is the takeaway readers should learn by viewing your
map? What is it you set out to do? What is it you discovered? How could or should the method be
applied going forward. Keep short (1-2 sentences). Keep in mind that all the text and description
cannot exceed the half-page dedicated to it or spill onto the next page. This includes citations.

I provided an example below of this done well, and this done poorly.

2
EXAMPLE: US ELECTION
A bivariate county-level choropleth comparing population with US Presidential election results

Methods
I used QGIS [1] to overlay a choropleth map of county-level election results (red for Republican; blue
for Democrat) with a transparency layer of voting density (more transparent indicating relatively
more votes cast.). Data for the county-level election results were downloaded from GitHub.com [2].
County-level shapefiles were downloaded from US Census Bureau .

Results
The color gradient indicates the distribution of voting along partisan lines, the brightness of the map
reflects the voting density of each county: brighter counties indicate regions where relatively more
votes were cast, while darker regions indicate regions where relatively fewer votes were cast. The
map appears "brighter" overall, particularly in Mid-Western states, suggesting an increased voter
turnout in those regions.

3
BAD EXAMPLE: WHAT NOT TO DO
Do not stretch/skew your map to make it fit the space on the template, or awkwardly crop it. This
line of text needs to fit on only one line, which means it needs to be less than 20 words.

Methods (do not add in a lit review or unnecessary sources or unnecessary sections)
First, I downloaded the software from my instructors website (Stephens, 2021), and then I installed
some packages with code and some magic happened that converted twitter data into points turned
into polygons that showed the number of people tweeting about eating rich people. See the
instructions for the lab if you want to know more, I took exactly those steps. I also used QGIS [1] and
OpenStreetMap[3].

Your document needs to stand alone. You have to be extremely concise in your methods & results. You
cannot write so much text to go onto the next page, but you also have to be specific about the decisions
you made to manipulate the data.

Results
The map above.

4
This doesn’t tell your reader what they should learn or see by viewing your map.

ADDENDUM
Appendix & References

REFLECTION
Any thoughts you have here. Maximum 100 words

REFERENCES
All sources cited in this document (and data used for your maps) needs to be cited. By using the IEEE
citation style, you can minimize the number of words you use and refer to the same sources
consistently with the same note throughout the document. The IEEE style is available for most
referencing software (EndNote, etc..). Read more about the IEEE style here:
https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/library-guides-to-citing-referencing/attachments/ieee-style-
guide.pdf

[1] QGIS Geographic Information System. (2021). Open Source Geospatial Foundation Project.
[Online]. Available: http://qgis.osgeo.org
[2] T. McGovern. US County Level Election Results [Online] Available:
https://github.com/tonmcg/US_County_Level_Election_Results_08-20
[3] OpenStreetMap contributors. Planet dump retrieved from https://planet.osm.org [Online]
Available: https://www.openstreetmap.org

Please note that your reflection and references together should not exceed 1 page. The full document
should not exceed 5 pages. Each of the maps constitutes the mixed media equivalent to “1 page of text”
+ 4 half-pages of text fulfills the requirements for this formative.

This digital map poster/portfolio will be assessed based on the criteria for Poster Presentations
(Knowledge & Understanding, Content, visual effect):
https://www.dur.ac.uk/internal/geography/password/undergraduate-guide/5/c/9/