Understanding through Structure: The Challenges of Information and Navigation Architecture in Cybercartography

AbstractThe information-rich environments suggested by the concept of cybercartography present new challenges to the design and display of interactive geographically oriented information. These new challenges revolve around two basic issues: information architecture and information navigation models. A variety of information architectures are discussed in this article, along with an analysis of topologies such as the hierarchy (tree), linear sequence, matrix (grid), web-like, or hybrid. A three-tier information architecture model is proposed that varies in information granularity. The high-granularity level includes information units such as maps, articles, images, animations, video clips, and data graphs. The medium-granularity level includes integrated functional information units that are topical, task oriented, audience specific, or a hybrid. At such a level of information units, maps are no longer a stand-alone element. Finally, the low-granularity level includes top-level information architecture li...

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