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The "Zeitschrift für
Semiotik": Abstracts ______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________ Dagmar Schmauks Winfried Nöth Hansgeorg Schlichtmann Gottfried Hofbauer Bruno Aust Daniel R. Montello Wolfgang Maaß and Dagmar Schmauks Enclosure Discussion World semiotics Dagmar Schmauks, Technical University Berlin Summary. Maps constitute a sign system which is especially suitable for representing
spatial relations. This article analyzes the semiotic structure of maps and outlines the
variety of possible uses. Reference maps depict parts of the earth’s surface.
Thematic maps, in addition, show various facts which are related to the area in question.
From a semiotic point of view, maps are highly complex: they combine graphic and textual
elements, and on the level of basic signs, all sign functions are to be found (iconic,
indexical, symbolic). Using weather maps in the daily press as an example, the author
shows how differently the elements of a sign repertoire may be motivated and which
problems need to be solved when they are incorporated in a map. In order to delineate
their potential for representation, maps are compared with written text. For specific
purposes, it is necessary to translate maps into other modalities (tactile or acoustic
signs) or into other media (mainly text). The use of computers has greatly increased these
possibilities. In conclusion, some common combinations of maps with other sign systems are
classified. Cartosemiotics and the cartographic signs Winfried Nöth, University of Kassel Summary. Cartosemiotics, the semiotics of topographic and thematic maps, is a
relatively recent branch of applied semiotics. A survey of this field of study shows that
the foundations of cartosemiotics derive from various schools and trends of 20th century
semiotics. The present paper focuses on a Peircean perspective of cartographic
representation. It investigates how cartographic signs relate to the geographical world
they represent and how ‘real’ maps differ from mental, fictional, or imaginary
maps in this respect. The prototypical sign of cartographic representation is the index,
but symbols and icons are also important elements of any code of cartographic
representation. Map production as a semiotic process Hansgeorg Schlichtmann, University of Regina (Canada) Summary. This article describes the principal processes of sign production in map
making, which are subsumed under ten themes. Four of these relate to the creation and
organization of sign contents (conceptualization): delimitation of the universe of
discourse, global characterization of places, specification of plan traits, and
structuring of the cartographic information. Six themes concern the shaping of the sign
matter into expressions and the mapping of expressions on contents (transcription): origin
of the sign matter, principles of expression-content assignment, pairing of positions on
the map with locations on the surface of the earth, anticipation of the operations of the
map user, choice of a graphic style, and maxims for technical realization. In conclusion,
it is asked how sign production achieves an adequate rendering of the world in the various
uses of maps. Time and space in cartography: semiotic geological maps Gottfried Hofbauer, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Summary. Compared to other maps, geological maps contain a very high density of
information. Their purpose is to describe the essential geological features of the chosen
area. The descriptive character of the map is supported by signs which are mostly iconic,
thereby improving the readibiliy of the complex information. To enhance the iconic quality
of these maps, further elements are employed: geological sections, columnar sections and
verbal instructions in cases inappropriate for graphic representation. In the
representation of rock units color selection proves to be especially problematic since
several factors come into conflict: aspects of imitation (iconicity), tradition, and
aestheticism. Goethe’s proposals for the use of colors in goelogical maps provide an
example of historicism. It seems that some of the colors which are taken as merely
conventional today were motivated by his ideas concerning the history of the earth as well
as by his theory of colors. Bruno Aust, University of the Saarland Summary. Cartographic generalization is the semiotic process which occurs in the
reduction of maps of a larger scale to those of a smaller one.The possibilities of merely
reducing the size of a map are limited. Going beyond half the scale of a given map already
requires generalization. It is a very complex semiotic process involving the
transformation of existing signs and the creation of new ones. The requirements of two
different levels have to be considered: at the object level, it has to be decided which
objects can still be represented at the reduced scale and by which means, and at the
representation level, the reduced map must remain readable. A sequence of official
topographical maps of the same region gradually reduced in scale serves to illustrate
these processes of generalization: graphic operations of generalization such as
simplification, reduction, or enlargement as distinguished from conceptual operations such
as condensation, classification, or evaluation. Understanding maps: the cognitive-psychological perspective Daniel R. Montello, University of California, Santa Barbara Summary. Research on the cognitive psychology of maps is reviewed, including the
history and role of cognitive science in understanding maps as symbol systems. Research
and theory is organized into four topic areas: knowledge structures and processes involved
in map use, effects of map orientation during use, maps as sources of geographical
knowledge, and the cognitive development of map skills. The paper concludes with a brief
comment about the future of cognitive research on maps. MOSES: an example for the modelling of spatial services by means of route description system Wolfgang Maaß, University of the Saarland Summary. In everyday life, we constantly have to solve spatial problems, and today
there are more and more technical devices at our disposal for this purpose. An important
source of spatial information are maps, which can now be stored in digitized form in
computer systems. Used in combination with a compass, the global positioning system (GPS),
and the methods of computer science, digitized maps allow their users to find their way,
even in unfamiliar surroundings. From a formal point of view, each spatial task may be
divided into those of localization, orientation, route finding, and route description. In
order to localize an object, it is essential that there be a system of reference and that
the spatial relations to other objects are determined. With this spatial knowledge it is
possible to reach one’s goal and to describe the route to it. As an example of this
formal approach to route description, this article presents the system MOSES, which is
able to incrementally describe the route to a goal for persons who do not know their way
around. At branchings, for instance, MOSES selects the correct path to take by
automatically choosing salient objects as landmarks and giving directions from the
user’s current perspective. "Et mundus, hoc est homo". From very old, virtual world map Martin Warnke, University of Lüneburg Summary. The paper describes a map from the High Middle Ages, its origins, contents,
and structure as well as some aspects of the underlying way of looking at the world and
its documentation by means of digital media. Semiotics and cognitive science Evelyn Dölling, Technical University Berlin Summary. This article gives a critical review of the various attempts within the
semiotics of the last decade to account for the relationships between cognitive science
and semiotics. First, the "interfaces" of cognitive science and semiotics in
general are considered. Next, a semiotic perspective of the different paradigms of
cognitive science (symbol-theoretic paradigm/computationalism, connectionism and
situated-action paradigm) is elaborated. Then two approaches to a new branch of semiotics
called "computer semiotics" are discussed. Finally, another new branch of
semiotics called "cognitive semiotics" is outlined. |
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© 1999-2001, Webmaster Research Center for Semiotics, Institute for Linguistics, Fac. 1, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany |
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