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Mapmakers and cartographers perceive maps differently than the target group of users. In the case map is created by someone else than a professional cartographer the process of making maps suffers by considerable degree of subjectivity. Despite the several-hundredyears effort of objectification of map making process, cartographers sometimes have difficulties to imagine the way how the user will use the map, especially the way of map perception, reading, analysis and interpretation [1]. Cartographers often lack the reasoning for the decision-making in balancing the map design and layout, designing a map symbology, choosing the cartographic method of visualization or level of generalization [2]. For these reasons it is necessary to carry out a research on user perception of maps.

According to Golledge and Stimson [3] the perception is function of a cognition (thinking), which can be understood as a way of encoding, storing and integrating information into existing knowledge. In order to study reading and using maps the perception is very important, because it helps to structure the area depicted on the map.

Several approaches of the research on user perception and evaluation of the applicability and effectiveness of maps exist. The eye-tracking is one of the rarely used. Based on results of eye movements analyses, many questions, that were not yet been discussed in cartography adequately, can be answered. For example, how users obtain information from the map, what is the strategy of map reading, how often users look to the map legend, how easily can be map symbols interpreted, etc. Analyses of maps usability can help in optimizing the map symbology, composition or design, so the new maps can be created in order to respect the specific user's requirements.

The main sensory channel for cognitive processes is vision [4]; therefore the research on map visual perception is necessary

© 2012 Brus et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2012 Brus et al., licensee InTech. This is a paper distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
