Editorial

Abstract

This final instalment of Volume 58 includes a particularly diverse mix of themes, from map production to map history. The first paper, by Turgay Çap, Hüseyin Zahit Selvi and İlkay Buğdayci, presents a new software technique for speeding up the production of topographic maps based on their research in Turkey. This is followed by Florian Ledermann’s timely empirical study into minimum cartographic symbol sizes on highdensity display devices. The Issue then shifts to historical matters, first with a robust evaluation of the planimetric accuracy of the European and Mediterranean Sea map of Piri Reis by Omer Gokberk Narin and Mevlut Gullu, and second by Hua Shi’s fascinating appraisal of how the roles of Europeans are reflected in their maps of East Asia and Central America between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. These papers are complemented by book reviews of some of the latest cartographic titles and the Society’s Annual Report, which closes the Volume. The production of the Journal has sadly continued to be affected by the ongoing impact of COVID-19, which has also affected publication schedules this year. Consequently, the planned Special Issue on Soviet mapping is still taking shape and will now appear in Volume 59. The quality of research published in the Journal has not wavered, however, and I should like to thank all authors who submitted their work and the many reviewers who have generously offered their time and expertise. Our Associate Editors, Gwilym, James and Peter, are to be commended for handling the reviewing of papers, our Editorial Assistant, Martin, for coordinating our Reviews section, and Liz and Meg Bourne for their assistance with proof-reading. I am also very grateful that the team at Taylor & Francis, especially Sandy Dalgleish and Andrew Kelly, remain dedicated to ensuring that we return to schedule as quickly as possible.