Sketch map: an old technique with new applications

Cognitive mapping is a process that enables people to collect, structure, store and manipulate environmental knowledge. This paper focuses on the use of spatial products such as a sketch map to extract this spatial knowledge and its potential use in understanding the psychological factors influencing offenders' choice of crime site location. The paper discusses previous research regarding the form and use of cognitive maps and discusses the benefits of understanding this process in relation to offenders' spatial behaviour. It also examines the use of sketch maps in criminological research and debates the advantages and shortcomings of this methodology. The paper uses three examples of sketch maps drawn by a local offender, an offender who occasionally travels further from home, and an offender who prefers to commit offences further from his home. Finally, theoretical and investigative implications of this type of research are considered.