On the Use of Geographic Information in Humanities Research Infrastructure: A Case Study on Cultural Heritage

Albina Mościcka,Agnieszka Zwirowicz-Rutkowska

doi:10.3390/ijgi7030106

Abstract

As an invaluable source of knowledge about the past, cultural heritage may be an important element of the humanities research infrastructure, along with other elements, such as spatial references. Therefore, this paper attempts to provide an answer to the questions concerning the ways in which spatial information can contribute to the development of this infrastructure and the aspects of storytelling based on cultural resources that can be supported by such infrastructure. The objective of the methodology that was used was to combine the aspects that refer to spatial information and cultural items into a single, common issue, and to describe them in a formalized way with use of Unified Modeling Language (UML). As a result, the study presents a proposal of the Humanities Infrastructure Architecture based on spatially-oriented movable cultural items, taking into account their use in the context of interoperability, along with the concept of creating spatial databases that would include movable monuments. The authors also demonstrate that the ISO 19100 series of geographical information standards may be a source of interesting conceptual solutions that may be used in the process of the standardization of geographical information that was recorded in the descriptions of cultural heritage items in form of metadata and data structure descriptions.

Highlights

IntroductionInforming people with use of geo-visualized stories and supporting space-time inference requires a combination of different kinds of data, such as text, photos, audio and video materials, maps, etc
The aim of the methodology that is used in this article is to combine the aspects related to spatial information as an integrator of different kind of data with spatially-oriented cultural goods into a single, common issue and to describe all the necessary aspects in a formalized way with the use of the Unified Modeling Language (UML), which will enable the implementation of the proposed solutions in any tool environment
Inclusion of data collected by cultural institutions in the humanities infrastructure, as well as its enrichment with spatial reference extends the use of movable monuments as a source of knowledge about the past, providing the answer to the first of the research questions posed

Summary

Introduction

Informing people with use of geo-visualized stories and supporting space-time inference requires a combination of different kinds of data, such as text, photos, audio and video materials, maps, etc. Their common processing, analysis and visualization is difficult but valuable, as it can lead to discovering new knowledge. Big data management poses at least three major challenges, the so called Three Vs, suggested as volume, variety, and velocity [3], which have emerged as a common framework to describe big data [4,5] Effective exploration of these Three Vs—high-volume, high-velocity, and high-variety datasets—requires modern forms and advanced technologies of data storage, dissemination, management, analysis and visualization [6]. Some further powerful challenges lie in the integration of big data originating from different sources [7], which can result in invaluable knowledge discovery

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion