Abstract
The role of open spatial data is growing in human-history research. Spatiality can be utilized to bring together and seamlessly examine data describing multiple aspects of human beings and their environment. Web-based spatial data platforms can create equal opportunities to view and access these data. In this paper, we aim at advancing the development of user-friendly spatial data platforms for multidisciplinary research. We conceptualize the building process of such a platform by systematically reviewing a diverse sample of historical spatial data platforms and by piloting a user-centered design process of a multidisciplinary spatial data platform. We outline (1) the expertise needed in organizing multidisciplinary spatial data sharing, (2) data types that platforms should be able to handle, (3) the most useful platform functionalities, and (4) the design process itself. We recommend that the initiative and subject expertise should come from the end-users, i.e., scholars of human history, and all key end-user types should be involved in the design process. We also highlight the importance of geographic expertise in the process, an important link between subject, spatial and technical viewpoints, for reaching a common understanding and common terminology. Based on the analyses, we identify key development goals for spatial data platforms, including full layer management functionalities. Moreover, we identify the main roles in the user-centered design process, main user types and suggest good practices including a multimodal design workshop.
Highlights
The value of spatial thinking is evident for all disciplines involving the study of phenomena distributed in space and time, e.g., [1]
We aim at answering four research questions: (1) What kind of motivation and expertise is needed in organizing multidisciplinary spatial data sharing in human-history research? (2) Which types of data should the platforms be able to handle, and which criteria do the datasets need to meet to be shared in a spatial data platform? (3) What kinds of platform functionalities are desirable for the end-users to be able to fully utilize the potential of spatial data? (4) What kind of design process is needed to guarantee the acceptance, broad adoption, and continuity of such platforms? Throughout the paper, we focus on technology and design that have minimum implementation costs and allows international, collaborative use
Conclusions and experiences from the URHIA development process were utilized in this study to exemplify the roles of different actors, end-user profiles, concrete steps, methods, and issues related to a user-centered design process in a multidisciplinary context
Summary
The value of spatial thinking is evident for all disciplines involving the study of phenomena distributed in space and time, e.g., [1]. An archaeological site description and a digital representation of topography are seemingly very different applications, but they share the need for geographic information (i.e., spatial data) systems that can construct, analyze and visualize spatial data [2]. Scientists are encouraged and enabled to share spatial data, increasing the amount of accessible data for everyone. This in turn improves the possibilities for data-intensive research. As geospatial technologies have become progressively more accessible for everyone, their value is increasingly recognized by researchers across disciplines [12]. The general multidisciplinary turn in science and increase in collaborative research is reflected in the increasing demands for geospatial applications [13]
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