Mapping methods for the social sciences

Dounia Salamé and Luce Beeckmans

Chapter 18 in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Research Methods in the Social Sciences, 2026, pp 128-132 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Mapping is the act of collecting and juxtaposing multiple data sets with the purpose of building a visual narrative. In the social sciences and humanities, there has been rising interest in mapping as a method for research as a result of the spatial turn and of a growing regard for both visual and participatory methods. Mapping, traditionally a tool of spatial disciplines such as geography, architecture, urban planning and urban studies, has thus been increasingly used in the social sciences, not only as a means of representation but also, and more importantly, as an interpretative instrument of analysis. This entry untangles some of the innovative ways in which mapping is mobilized as a method in the social sciences. It elaborates on the variety of objectives of the mappers and the main debates and challenges around the use of mapping in research. Finally, it zooms in on participatory mapping as an emerging method.

Keywords: Epistemology; Participatory Methods; Feminist Methods; Spatializing; Data Visualization; Counter-Mapping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781803921297
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