Welcome To Indiemapper Help! Here we share our insights and tips for making great thematic maps. Our goal is to cover the important concepts in cartography and flag the important decision points in the map-making process. As with many activities in life, there isn't always a single best answer in cartography, and in those cases we've tried to outline some of the pros and cons to different solutions. Indiemapper makes it easy to experiment - so don't be shy.

This help system is not meant as a replacement for a full textbook on cartography, rather it is a quick reference guide for those moments when you're stumped, unsure of what to do next, or unfamiliar with the terminology. While the recommendations on these pages are quick and not loaded with academic references, please appreciate that they represent a thoughtful synthesis of decades of map-making research.

General Map Making Topics

• Level of Measurement: Nominal, Ordinal, and Numerical Data
• Standardizing Data
• The Basics of Data Classification
• Labeling and Text in Cartography
• Using Colors on Thematic Maps
• Univariate Maps versus Multivariate Maps
  
  

Univariate Thematic Map Types

• Choropleth Maps
• Proportional and Graduated Symbol Maps
• Dot Density Maps
• Non-Contiguous Cartograms
  

Multivariate Thematic Map Types

• Bivariate Choropleth
• Bivariate Cartogram
• Bivariate Proportional Symbols
• Value by Alpha
• Proportional Labels (2 variables)
• Colored Proportional Labels (3 variables)
  
  

Want to dig a bit deeper? Have a look at a few of our favorite textbooks:

• Slocum et al. (2008) Thematic Cartography and Geovisualization (3rd Edition)
• Brewer, C. A. (2005) Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Users
• Dent et al. (2008) Cartography: Thematic Map Design (6th Edition)

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