The 2023 Henry Johns Award, presented annually by the British Cartographic Society in collaboration with Lovell Johns for the most outstanding article published in The Cartographic Journal, has been awarded this year to a team of authors led by Dr Markéta Beitlová from the Department of Geoinformatics. The winning article focused on the verification of cartographic communication models by monitoring map reading strategies based on eye-tracking.
“This award is not only a recognition of our work, but also a motivation to continue further research that pushes the boundaries of our field,” said .
In addition to Beitlová, the winning article entitled “Verification of Cartographic Communication Models Using Detection of Map Reading Strategies Based on Eye Movement Recording” was co-authored by Stanislav Popelka, Martin Konopka, and Karel Macků from the Department of Geoinformatics.
“Maps display spatial data, show the geographical distribution of objects, and help to understand the relationships between places. The award-winning article used eye-tracking to analyse map-reading strategies and compared the approaches of authors, cartographers, and laypeople. The study shows that a similarity of reading strategy between the author and user improves map understanding. The insights gained will contribute to better map design, which is of practical importance in areas such as spatial planning, crisis management, and education. Eye-tracking technology thus strengthens cartographic research and interdisciplinary cooperation at Palacký University,” added Beitlová.
The young scientists from the Faculty of Science decided to donate the financial reward associated with the prize to the SOS Floods Czech Republic collection.