Mod10 - Dot Mapping

Dot Mapping

This week's lab covers the final lesson in thematic mapping. Dot mapping indicates the location of one or more occurrences of a geographic phenomenon using dot symbols. This method of thematic mapping can also be called dot density maps or areal frequency maps. The main characteristics of a dot map is the use of small dots symbolize spatial distributions. The number of dots directly related to the number of objects being mapped.
Conceptual or raw data may be used in creating Dot maps. Dot maps are not used for mapping continuous data but are applicable for:

• discrete data occurring at points, 
• when comparing the distributions of related phenomenon, and 
• when portraying variations or patterns in density.

Dot maps are easy to understand and are effective for showing phenomena that exist in large quantities. Several disadvantages are that they are hard to estimate density and map readers could interpret dots to represent a single occurrence. Dot maps are most commonly used for agricultural maps.

Dot maps can be represented as one-to-one, which is better for smaller geographical areas or one-to-many, which is best for larger geographical areas. 

In creating a dot map, major factors to consider are:

•  the scale of enumeration units, 
• dot value and, 
• dot size. 

Fun map to make but it crashed multiple times and I have forgot to add an insert map the state of Florida that I intended to add.