Normalizing the pandemic: exploring the cartographic issues in state government COVID-19 dashboards

Abstract

ABSTRACTGovernment agencies have utilized Web Geographic Information Systems (GIS) dashboards to collect and disseminate spatial information on COVID-19. However, not all maps on these dashboards adhere to established cartographic principles. This article explores the extent of the cartographic issues by surveying state governments’ official COVID-19 websites in the United States on February 11, 2021. The results indicate that out of the fifty states, thirty-one (62.0%) incorrectly used unnormalized data in choropleth maps, sixteen (32.0%) used normalized data, and three (6.0%) did not employ choropleth maps. Among states using normalized data correctly, we identified other cartographic problems, including inappropriate data class divisions and suboptimal enumeration units. As dashboards serve as authoritative sources for health information, issues in map creation can influence public perception of the health crisis. These findings underscore the need for map standards to ensure the accuracy and reliability of health information in the Web GIS era.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• choropleth
• web GIS
• dashboard
• infodemic