Trust in maps: what we know and what we need to know

Abstract

Maps have served as authoritative and trustworthy sources of geospatial information for years. However, maps are increasingly being wielded to spread misinformation due to the democratization of mapmaking, advances in AI, and the emergence of post-truth politics. Trust plays a fundamental role in the spread of misinformation, but our understanding of trust in the context of maps is limited. In this paper, I examine the methodologies employed by empirical studies on trust in maps and synthesize the major findings of said studies. Most of the reviewed studies were experiments that utilized single-item self-reporting Likert-type measures to capture trust. I organized the findings of the studies into six major themes including source, metadata, transparency, uncertainty, design, and information modality. Additionally, I present a research agenda based on the findings and limitations of existing works. This agenda highlights methodological challenges to studying trust in maps and proposes opportunities in the form of research questions.