I used the map of the Carleton grounds in 1941 to create my map. This map shows the downtown of Northfield along with the Carleton campus and the arb. Using the old maps online website, I was able to match points between a modern map and the old map to overlay it. Overall, the process was pretty smooth but it was sometimes difficult to match the points exactly.
I think there are a lot of possibilities for future research once you have a georectified map. For example, you could use it to see how land has changed overtime. This could be useful in understanding the how the use of land is changing and how this could impact the environment. After using these maps to see trends, a next step could be researching what specifically went on in this area and causes for different changes.
A potential issue with georeferencing is the impact of human error. Since you are manually matching points, it is very easy to mess a location up. This could throw off the map, especially if you are only matching a few points. Additionally, there could be issues with projections on the map which would make it inaccurate.
This method would not be appropriate for maps without clear spatial information. This would make it too difficult to match points on the map. Additionally, if the environment is changing very quickly this might not be the best method, as it won’t be relevant for very long.
This process allowed me to better understand how spatial DH projects work. I now feel like I have more of an idea of how to construct these projects, and go about making a map that can be used to understand spatial data. Geo-rectification is a really interesting way to understand spatial data and better visualize trends.
2 thoughts on “Blog Week 5”
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Hi Margo! I also had some difficulty placing my points accurately because even if you placed the point at the center of a location, it might still be slightly off. So I definitely agree with you that human error can cause issues in this process. I also agree that this process can be very useful to see how land changed overtime, including architecture! Great post!
Hi Margo, I totally agree with you that it is kind of hard to find alligning points on the maps. I just learnt an excellent idea from another post, that is to put referencing points on right angles. The result of my first attempt was not ideal as a combination of not enough alligning points and some projection issue, so the points you brought up for inappropriate conditions resonate with my experience.