Participatory Mapping

“Participatory methods enabled researchers at each site to develop an understanding of their communities, in terms of both structure and attributes, that could not have been derived from existing data or data collected through standard data collection techniques.”

Maman et al (2009). Using Participatory Mapping to Inform a Community-randomized Trial of HIV Counseling and Testing. Field Methods. 21 (4), 368-387.

Definition

Participatory mapping is a research technique where participants draw out a map representing their mental model of a place.

Context

Co-design

Procedure

1. First, come up with some guiding questions to ask participants so that the activity can be focused.

2. Collect several pieces of paper along with colored markers, pens, and pencils. My chosen materials are not expensive because I want participants to feel like they don’t have to draw to perfection.

3. Meet the participants in an environment where they will be comfortable.

4. To start the participatory mapping, I have participants draw out a simple map such as the route they take to work. This is a way to get them warmed up and comfortable using the utensils.

5. After the warm up, I ask the participants to draw out the type of map I want to learn about. It’s useful to provide some direction about what elements to include on the map, but the participants should decide what is important to draw.

6. While participants are drawing the maps, it’s good to ask questions about why they are drawing particular items. I like to encourage my participants to write out any comments describing the places they draw.

7. At the end, I look over the map and ask about anything I don’t understand. I try to be mindful to not take up too much of my participant’s time.

Use Case

I did a participatory mapping study to understand the different services used in Bloomington, Indiana. I picked a professor who lived in Bloomington to be my participant. I had her draw a quick map of her route to work (using a bike or a car), and then she drew out the route she takes during her typical Saturday routine with her kids.

Data Analysis

One of my difficulties with participatory mapping was comparing the separate maps created by different participants. I wanted to visualize the activities and services used not just by my participant but also by the participants researched by my two other team members.

To overcome this, I created a new combined map which used colors to categorize the different types of transportation and buildings used by all participants. My new map served as a collective representation of the community. This is one way to organize the differences between maps; however, in the future I would aim to have multiple community members create the map together. That way participants can share their perspective with each other as they make the map. A group activity would paint a more accurate model of the community.