POLITICAL TRUTH AND THE GRAPHIC IMAGE
Michael R. C. Coulson · Cartographica The International Journal for Geographic Information and Geovisualization · 1977
The maps presented by Campbell and Knight in a recent paper on the 1974 Canadian Federal Election results are critically evaluated and found wanting. Scale and level of generalization present problems throughout. The author considers that the isopleth maps employed are rendered unreliable by boundary problems and the highly irregular spacing of data points. The difficulties of deriving territoriality from snapshot data are examined. Quartile dispersion histograms are presented as a more appropriate and truthful graphic image of the election results.Les cartes presentees par Campbell et Knight dans un recent document relatif aux resultats de l'election federale canadienne de 1974 sont evaluees de facon critique et trouvees insatisfaisantes. L'echelle et le degre de generalisation posent partout des problemes. L'auteur considere que les problemes de frontiere et l'espacement tres irregulier des points d'echantillonage rendent peu sures les cartes isoplethes utilisees. Les difficultes que presente la determination de la territorialite a partir des donnees instantanees sont etudiees. Les histogrammes de dispersion mesuree a partir des quartiles sont presentees comme etant une representation graphique plus appropriee et plus juste des resultats d'election.