how to cite a map

General Guide to Map Citations (courtesy Prof Knowles)

The following examples should cover most of the cartographic sources you will use in college papers. If you cannot find an example that matches one of your sources, consult the booklet Cartographic Citations: A Style Guide, by Suzanne M. Clark, et al. (1992) in the reference collection in the Main Library.

The basic format for map citations in the scientific style is:

  • Author (date). Title (format). Edition. Scale. Place of publication: Publisher. Pages.

In endnotes, format the information according to the style used for textual sources. The following examples follow endnote style. The date can be moved forward if necessary.

USGS Topographical Quadrangle

    U.S. Geological Survey.  “Gettysburg, Pa.” (map). 7.5 minutes series. 1:24,000. Washington, D.C.: USGS, 1981.

Printed sheet map or manuscript map

    U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.  Madagascar (map). 1:3,465,000. Washington, D.C.: Central Intelligence Agency, 1973.
    U.S. Forest Service. Manistee National Forest, Michigan, 1979 (map). Limited revision, 1987.  ½  inch = 1 mile. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1987.
    Thomas Wright. A Topographical Map of the Province of New Hampshire (map). No scale. London: Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, 1775.

Map in a book, including maps in atlases

    “The World: Robinson Projection” (map). The Do-It-Yourself Book of Blank Maps.  Honesdale, Pa.: Willow Spring Press, 1992. P. 12.
    National Geographic Society. “Immigration” (map). Historical Atlas of the United States. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 1987. Pp. 121-22.
    de Souza, Anthony and Frederick Stutz. The World Economy. New York: Macmillan, 1994.  Figure 4.16, p. 147.
    Watts, Michael. “Black Gold, White Heat: State Violence, Local Resistance, and the National Question in Nigeria.” In Steve Pile and Michael Keith, eds. Geographies of Resistance. London: Routledge, 1997. Figure 2.1, p. 35.

Map from the World Wide Web (and general form for citing a web source)

One thought on “how to cite a map

  1. Andrew Powers

    Citation:
    Walt Disney World Resort. “Walt Disney World Overview Maps”. No scale. http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/maps/. Accessed on 18th February 2010.

    Key Words: Reference Map, Tour, A snap shot, Interactive object, Advertisement, Graphics software, Perspective

    This is an interactive map of Walt Disney world that I found on the Disney World website. The target user group seems to be potential visitors because the map is not portable at all, is highly stylized and at the top of the page the words DISCOVER, PLAN and BOOK are drop down menus.
    I found this map series under the plan tab. The first page that the link directs you to is universal view of the entire park complex. The features look like an island floating on a white background. Different regions of the greater complex (Magic Kingdom, Epcot etc) are represented by 2d landmarks with which those regions are associated. Numbers enclosed in a white circle outlined in blue are located near these landmarks. These numbers correspond with an index on the left hand side of the page and when you direct the mouse to them, the region’s title pops up in a text box. Users can zoom into any section of the park by clicking a number. When one does so, a description of the region pops up with a link to a more detailed map of the region. The park level extent also provides a feature index and feature descriptions.
    Although this map is highly stylized, it provides users with enough information about the topology of the park to get a sense of what the park is like but not enough information to navigate between parks. In addition, the stylized representations of park features provide users with a lot of information about what they are seeing. The map is clean and looks like a cartoon. It makes the park look appealing. The interactive nature of this map makes it very easy to use and understand.

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