Digital Tool Review #1: FabulaMaps
What are the key features of this digital tool? How is this digital tool distinct from other ones similar to it?
FabulaMaps is an interactive mapping tool with a narrative element. It’s different because it has many more mapping features than something like StoryMapJS but has the narrative element that is lacking in Google TourBuilder, ZeeMaps, etc. It also differentiates from tools like Neatline, CartoDB, and ArcGIS in that it is user friendly and can be learned with minimal frustration. It also has many more interactive features that differentiate it from any mapping tool that I have had experience with, like animated markers and polygons.
What kinds of research questions might this digital tool help you answer?
It can tell an interactive story over time with its narrative features, document a growth or event, or map locations with giving background. This is especially helpful for historic projects because of its narrative elements you can map changes over time.
What kind of documentation is available for this tool?
The site has an about page and a blog in which popular questions and features are explained and the elements of FabulaMaps are discussed.
Is the digital tool free, or is there a cost to use it?
For students it’s free, there are versions that are paid but FabulaMaps is perfectly functional at a basic level without the extra features.
What kinds of data/input does the tool require?
The tool requires points on the map and information in the slides. It is possible to ditch the narrative element altogether by skipping the slides and simply having an interactive map. It can hold multitudes of text, media, and animations.
Are there any privacy concerns?
None that I know of. Once you start the map it is public facing, but only the creator of the map can edit it.
How difficult will this tool be to master? Does it require an outside expert or special technical skills, or can it be learned with practice?
This tool is incredibly user friendly, it has labels on the different icons and explanation tabs of what they do. It does require a bit of experimenting with the tool to fully understand it, but that is with any tool. If there are problems or questions FabulaMaps has many official tutorials on its site and many outside tutorials online.
Could you use this digital tool for your project? Why or why not?
I am trying to use this in my project because it has both the narrative element I need and the mapping features that I believe my project could benefit from. I have a StoryMapJS right now but FabulaMaps would allow me to follow every cadet individually which is incredibly important to me. With the many colors and options of markers it gives me the ability to differentiate between cadets and battles. Also FabulaMaps has an amazing feature that allows markers to travel along lines that could show how far the individual cadet travelled and how many of the cadets travelled together. The problem is that I have so much data and information and FabulaMaps has so many possibilities that I am unsure how exactly to format the narrative element.
