The evaluation of archival maps in geohistorical research

The array of archival maps from the 19th and 20th centuries is very large and, in order to assess their reliability for a particular analysis, some kind of evaluation form must be used. The proposed evaluation form comprises both formal and quantitative criteria, enriched with the maps’ elaboration circumstances, which may influence their reliability. These factors are also applied at both the spatial and attribute levels of information. Guidelines include: the scope of content, the map’s mathematical precision, the descriptive information correctness, the time reference of the content, and the information transfer efficiency.