GIScience Journals Ranking and Evaluation: An International Delphi Study

Researchers’ fame in most scientific fields is closely linked to their publishing capacity, both in terms of quantity and quality. In GIScience, as in other fields, this situation demands that the researcher evaluate and to be very familiar with the scientific journals in which they could publish. Some specialized journals (e.g. Journal of Citation Reports or JCR) are devoted to ranking these reviews according to various methods and criteria. Compared to other scientific communities, GIScience is relatively new and constantly evolving. Therefore, the journals of this field do not benefit from any real formal ranking yet. The objective of this paper is to present the process and results of a study aimed at addressing this gap. More specifically, the challenge is to elaborate an importance ranking of the scientific journals in the field of GIScience. To do so, both a qualitative (Delphi study carried out with 40 international experts) and a quantitative (JCR impact factor) approach has been implemented. This triangulation method leads to an early global ranking of the journals of this field.     

Enriching the GIScience research agenda: Fusing augmented reality and location‐based social networks

Augmented reality (AR) overlays real‐world views or scenes with virtual, computer‐generated objects that appear to visually coexist in the same space. Location‐based social networks (LBSNs) are platforms for individuals to be connected through the interdependency derived from their physical locations and their location‐tagged social media content. Current research and development in both areas focuses on integrating mobile‐based AR and LBSNs. Several applications (e.g., Sekai Camera and Wallame) have been developed and commercialized successfully. However, little research has been done on the potential impacts and successful evaluation methods of AR‐integrated LBSNs in the GIScience field. To close this gap, the article outlines the impacts and benefits of AR‐integrated LBSNs and highlights the importance of LBSNs in GIScience research. Based on the status quo of AR‐integrated LBSNs, this article discusses—from theoretical and application‐oriented perspectives—how AR‐integrated LBSNs could enrich the GIScience research agenda in three aspects: data conflation, platial GIS, and multimedia storytelling. The article concludes with guidelines on visualization, functionality, and ethics that aim to help users develop and evaluate AR‐integrated LBSNs.     

The Tenth International Conference and Sixth General Assembly of the International Cartographic Association: A Report

An invertible model is proposed which uses the basis of scale-independence and scale-dependence to capture some of the essential cartographic elements of topographic relief. The model, which uses Fourier and fractal methods in combination with local surface operators, is invertible, and is used to simulate topography. The uses of such simulated topography are discussed, as are the advantages of the particular model used. The model is developed mathematically. and seems in its application to produce terrain with some desirable cartographic traits.     

The Eighth International Cartographic Conference and Fifth General Assembly of the International Cartographic Association: A Report

The utility of a stepped statistical surface for either choropleth style or absolute quantity themes depends on how accurately readers can estimate prism heights, and whether prism volumes affect those estimates. Testing of a stepped surface through comparison of state pairs without benefit of legend revealed that most readers respond to prism heights, not volumes. The association of values with heights is consistent for a variety of data areas and for three different themes. Even for an absolute quantity, which logically can be represented by volume, the surface, scaled by height, conveyed magnitudes with as much accuracy as scaled circles used for the same data. Altogether, the results show a stepped surface scaled by height to be a versatile device, and suggest that a surface representing values by volumes might be misinterpreted.