Comparing Maps
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Now when you click on the “Analytics” command in DRA 2020, you will see a “Compare Map” option to the right of the ratings diagram. When you toggle this switch on and select a similar map, you will see:
- An updated ratings diagram that compares your map to one similar map along all five dimensions at the same time; and
- A new box plot that compares your map’s ratings to the ratings for all similar maps, each dimension considered independently.
These help you better understand your map in context.
Updated Ratings Diagram
When you toggle the “Compare Map” switch on, you will get a popup that shows you the set of similar diagrams to which you can compare your map. These maps are drawn from your My Maps and all Published Maps, where “similar” means the same state, same type of map (congressional vs. state legislative), a similar number of districts, and has to be valid (complete, contiguous, and roughly equal population).
The current official map is pre-selected by default. If you simply press Accept, your map will be compared to that one. You can, however, filter & sort the set of similar maps and select a different map as a baseline.
The ratings diagram will be updated to show your map’s ratings in green with a black border overlaid on top of the base map, along with a helpful legend.
You can press the camera icon to download the image.
Box Plot
Below the ratings diagram, you will also see a box-plot that compares your map to all similar maps, comparing each dimension independently. The ratings for your map are highlighted as black dots.
In addition to showing the distribution of similar maps along each dimension, the box-plot specifically highlights the 2nd and 3rd quartiles of maps on either side of the median. When you hover your cursor over any individual dimension, you will see figures related to these data.
Again, you can press the camera icon to download the image.
