The change of the function of visual information in geographical studies

地理研究通常使用视觉信息，如地图和数字。地理和视觉信息之间的关系因研究框架而异，并随着时间的推移而变化。本研究对日、美、英三国主要地理学期刊论文中视觉信息的使用量进行了分析。自1950年以来，研究的期刊有《日本地理评论》、《美国地理学家协会年鉴》和《英国地理学家协会学报》。1)20世纪世纪后期的50年间，每100页平均使用50条视觉信息，相当于25页的面积（地图7页，表格7页，照片、绘画、图表5页，其他数字6页，其他7页）。也就是说，总页面的四分之一被视觉信息占据。2)历史分析表明，20世纪50年代视觉信息量较少，60年代视觉信息量迅速增加，世纪后期达到最大值。它随后在70年代至90年代下降。结果表明，地理学定量化革命后，实证研究蓬勃发展，视觉信息的作用有所增加，但在近期的研究中，视觉信息的作用有所减弱。

Geographical studies commonly employ visual information such as maps and figures. The relationship between geography and visual information differs by research framework and it changes over time. This study examined the quantity of visual information employed by the papers in major geographical journals in Japan, U.S. and U.K. since 1950 The journals examined were Geographical Review of Japan, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, and Transactions, Institute of British Geographers.The result for AAAG was as follows. 1) Through 50 years in the late 20's century, the total number of visual information employed was 50 pieces per 100 pages in average, which was equivalent to the area of 25 pages (maps; 7pages, tables; 5pages, photograph, paintings, and pictorial diagram; 6pages, other figures; 7pages). That is, a quarter of the total pages were occupied with the visual information. 2) Historical analysis showed that the number of visual information was small in 1950's, and it rapidly increased in the 60's, and then reached the maximum in the late 20's century. It decreased subsequently through 70's to 90's. The results indicated that the visual information increased after the quantitative revolution of geography when the empirical studies flourished, and the role of the visual information became less significant in the recent studies.