What are your thoughts on "thick mapping in the digital humanities," and how does it differ from "mapping?"
Thick mapping, unlike traditional mapping, is a flexible and adaptable version of location data displays. It goes far beyond just simple individual location data however, and extends to include many unique layers of data, to interact and be related to one another. In my opinion, thick mapping is one of the most useful tools we have for analyzing spatial data. I have used thick mapping concepts in several digital humanities classes now, and they can be used for a range of applications in any project. It provides emotion, application, and importance to data beyond just the surface level.
Thick mapping is ever-present in our daily lives. Just thinking of an experience we take for grated, using the Waze app to navigate provides the user with multiple layers of traffic, police locations, accident reports, gas stations, food, and shopping deals. Beyond the typical, interacting with websites displaying data for classes often provides a great example of thick mapping. I have used layered maps to look at climate change coupled with predicted immigration patterns to analyze the impact of global warming on refugee migration over the next decades. This map was very effective in conveying the seriousness of the issue, as well as providing a means through which I could look at different scenarios and expand my knowledge of the issue. This narrative is one that is important to me, as someone who cares passionately about reducing the impacts of climate change and taking preventative measures.