Rules:

• Submission deadline: January 31, 2025
• Must be an active (dues paying) WiGIS member
  
• Maps must be, at a minimum, 11" x 17" and no larger than 34" x 44" (E size) - either portrait or landscape orientation is acceptable.
• Maps must be submitted in PDF format, (print ready)
• Only one entry per person
• Only one prize packet will be awarded per winning entry
• You may use any software to create your map, however Esri software must be used to have winning map displayed at the Esri UC Map Gallery.

Judging Criteria:

1. Content

   • Accuracy (grammar, punctuation, spelling) – Is there appropriate use of grammar and spelling?

   • Effective communication – Is the map’s message clear? Does the content support the map’s intended purpose?

   • Effective use of geographic information – Appropriate use and portrayal of spatial data. If relevant, does the author include sufficient geographic features or other essential elements for orientation?

   • Sources – Is the work informative with reliable sources? Are sources appropriately credited/cited?

2. Presentation

   • Legibility (font, font size, figures, tables, graphics) – Are fonts, text size, and labels configured in a way that is legible? 

   • Design/Layout – Do the graphical elements follow a logical arrangement?

   • Visual appeal (color coordination, geometry, accents, highlights, use of symbology) – Is there an effective use of symbology, geometry, labels, and color?

3. Originality

   • Is the work innovative, either in its subject matter or its application of visual graphics? Is the presentation unique?

This criteria are weighted differently depending on the category your map was submitted to:

• Traditional maps weight: Content: 45%; Presentation: 45%; Originality: 10%
• Creative maps weight: Content: 35%; Presentation: 35%; Originality: 30%

Sorry, the deadline to enter was January 31, 2025. We are no longer accepted submissions.

For questions contact outreach@womeningis.org.

*WiGIS reserves the right to substitute gift cards in lieu of prizes if necessary. Entries must use Esri software in order to have map displayed at the Esri UC.

Important Dates:

• Contest Opens: October 30, 2024
• Submission deadline: January 31, 2025 11:59pm Pacific Time (US) NOW CLOSED
• Winner announced: March 15, 2025

Prizes:

Each winner will receive*:

• 1 copy of Mapping the Deep, by Dawn Wright
• 1 copy of Women and GIS (winner's choice of vol 1, 2, or 3)
• WiGIS membership dues waived for upcoming renewal period
• Map hung at the 2025 Esri User Conference Map Gallery*
• WiGIS Swag
• Digital Certificate
• Winners and their maps will be featured on the WiGIS website and social media

Additional Benefits:

Need another reason to become a member and participate in the contest? As a WiGIS member you get GISP Points for Contributions to the Profession:

• 1 GISP point for being a WiGIS Member
• 1 point for participating in the WiGIS Map Contest
• 1 point if your map wins and it's hung at the Esri UC Map Gallery*

That is a total of three points possible!