Combining difference and equivalence test results in spatial maps

Table 1 Two schemes to distinguish mutual difference and equivalence test results in choropleth maps.

Equivalence test result	Difference test result	Six combined scenarios	Four combined scenarios
E ₃	D _-1	equivalent and significantly smaller	equivalent (that is, result of difference test does not matter)
E₃, E₆, E₈	D ₀	equivalent and not significantly different
E ₈	D ₊₁	equivalent and significantly larger
E₁, E₂	D _-1	not equivalent and significantly smaller	not equivalent and significantly smaller
E₁, E₂, E₄, E₅, E₇, E₉, E₁₀	D ₀	not equivalent and not significantly different	not equivalent and not significantly different
E₉, E₁₀	D ₊₁	not equivalent and significantly larger	not equivalent and significantly larger

Note: The first scheme (column "6 combined scenarios") combines the three difference test results with the two main results of the equivalence test. The second scheme (column "4 combined scenarios") is a simplified alternative to the former. All significantly equivalent results are considered as one category, irrespectively of the result of the difference test. The difference test result only matters then in the case of a not equivalent result.

ISSN: 1476-072X