The assimilation and use of GIS by historians: a sociotechnical interaction networks (STIN) analysis

Abstract

One strategic way to understand the impact of digital technologies on a domain of research is to identify how these technologies factor into scholars’ realm of everyday academic practice. I present an evaluative strategy grounded in the field of social informatics referred to as socio-technical interaction networks (STIN) approach. The central tenet of this analytical approach is that it models the context of humanities scholars’ routine engagement with digital technologies as a sociotechnical network-a web of relationships of technological and social elements. Using qualitative data collected from multiple sources I demonstrate the value of STIN as an analytical approach by analysing the assimilation and use of Geographical Information systems (GIS) by researchers studying historical topics. I conclude by identifying some of the core issues emerging from this study and how these issues can be useful to think about policy and strategy aspects related to digital humanities.