Map Resources

Define the Map Parameters: 

• Define the location represented on the map. The political definition (country, state, county, city, etc.) or longitude & latitude.  
• Determine the map scale: Scale is the ratio indicates how representative the map is of the area it is depicting. 
  • 1:24,000 means 1 unit on the map (i.e. inches or centimeters) corresponds to 24,000 unites on the ground. 

• Currency of source materials:  Are you looking for historic or current maps? Look for the publication date.
• Source Evaluation: What is the purpose of a particular map?  Who created it?  What data is represented?  Verify map data whenever possible.