Cultural Heritage Information Research Articles

Cultural preservation through technology in UAE libraries

Purpose This study aims to explore how libraries in the United Arab Emirates use technology to preserve and digitize cultural and historical documents. It examined how these institutions use different technology models to facilitate the dissemination of UAE’s cultural traditions, practices, historical experiences and expressions to the local and global populations interested in learning about the country. Design/methodology/approach This study relied heavily on a review of the relevant literature and case studies covering how UAE libraries use technology to preserve, document and share tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The methodology entailed gathering and synthesizing relevant information from scholarly journal articles, government and reputable institutional resources online and reports. Collectively, it led to a close analysis of the impact of technology on cultural preservation and an assessment of the specific technology models preferred for optimal outcomes in preserving and disseminating cultural heritage information of the UAE. Findings Multiple UAE libraries rely heavily on technology to collect, record, translate and store cultural heritage information, including releasing it to users when required. The National Archives of the United Arab Emirates, the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive, Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, the UAE National Library and Archives, New York University Abu Dhabi and Khalifa University of Science and Technology and Research libraries have leveraged different technological models and tools to make UAE’s cultural heritage information available and accessible globally. Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, three-dimensional imaging and scanning, electronic archiving systems, document management systems and ICT storage systems have helped the UAE libraries to promote and disseminate the nation’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Originality/value By relying on scholarly and authoritative sources of information and evidence to draw conclusions, this study contributes to the existing literature by offering insights into the innovative strategies used by UAE libraries to leverage technology for cultural preservation and promotion. In underlining the value of digital approaches to safeguard tangible and intangible cultural heritage, the research highlights the instrumentalism of technology in preserving the UAE’s cultural heritage and identity.

The Climate Heritage Paradox – how rethinking archaeological heritage can address global challenges of climate change

ABSTRACT For archaeology to address adequately the global challenges of climate change, it needs to resolve the Climate Heritage Paradox which consists of two contradictions. Firstly, in contemporary society, when humanity anticipates and prepares for climate change and associated transformations, archaeological and other cultural heritage predominantly look backward and emphasize continuities. Secondly, when humanity on Earth needs panhuman solidarity, trust, and collaboration to be able to face enormous global challenges together, archaeological and other forms of cultural heritage are still managed and interpreted within frameworks of national governance. There is, therefore, a need for developing new understandings of cultural heritage that (a) are predominantly about stories of change and transformation rather than continuity and spatial belonging, and (b) express a need for humanity to collaborate globally and overcome national boundaries. This will protect and enhance the benefits of archaeology and cultural heritage in the age of climate change.

Knowledge Distillation and Transfer Learning Combined for Innovative Visualization Teaching of Non-Heritage Designs

Abstract This study introduces a novel approach by combining knowledge distillation and transfer learning to create a model that, despite its smaller size, approaches the accuracy of its much larger counterparts. It leverages a trained model from a source domain (teacher) to enhance an untrained model in a target domain (student) with significantly fewer parameters. Through transfer learning, we utilize pre-trained deep learning model parameters as initial values. This paper also explores integrating intangible cultural heritage (ICH) information with school curricula, transforming traditional knowledge presentation into intuitive, personalized displays. Our findings highlight that ICH visualization spans nine categories, with traditional arts and crafts leading with 25 items. Interestingly, only 22.58% of students understand Native American culture, pointing towards the potential for educational enhancement. The research suggests designing curriculum with varied teaching activities to improve students’ comprehensive skills.

Value co‐creation in cultural heritage information practices: Literature review and future agenda: An Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) paper

AbstractValue co‐creation as a research topic has been a critical proposition of interest to a wide range of disciplines. In recent years, the field of cultural heritage has also developed a range of information practices to promote different forms of value co‐creation. While the body of literature has begun to accumulate, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of conceptual foundations and how value co‐creation is implemented in cultural heritage information practices. This paper conducted a hermeneutic literature review to understand and conceptualize the core aspects of value co‐creation in various cultural heritage information works. In particular, this paper provides a research mapping of the genres of co‐creation in cultural heritage information practices, the actors, and the roles played by the stakeholders. Further, this review provides an overview of the dominant value co‐creation models in the cultural heritage field. It distills the drivers of value co‐creation and the core value consequences that arise from a process perspective. Finally, this paper puts forward a thematic, theoretical, and methodological agenda for future work based on these findings. The review contributes to the literature by proposing an integrated conceptual framework that summarizes the core elements of value co‐creation in cultural heritage information practices. The framework also serves as a call for action, providing a general understanding of the conceptual foundation for future research.

Integrating Data on Early Medieval Graves: Mapping the THANADOS database to the ARIADNE infrastructure with the Mortuary Data Application Profile

This article discusses the creation of an Application Profile (AP) for mortuary data and how it was used to integrate the THANADOS anthropological and archaeological database of sepultures in the ARIADNEplus infrastructure. Ontologies increase data interoperability and their potential for being reused. The CIDOC CRM is a formal ontology designed to facilitate the integration, mediation, and interchange of heterogeneous cultural heritage information. APs provide exemplary mappings that other researchers can use as an orientation. For creating and testing the ARIADNE mortuary data AP, data from early medieval cemeteries provided an ideal case study because of the high degree of similarity between sites. The mapping of early medieval cemetery data has shown that mapping to an ontology contributes to data interoperability in several ways. Firstly, it may reveal inconsistencies in the native dataset and improve data organisation for future projects. Secondly, it enables the querying of information concerning graves and cemeteries from different sources across the ARIADNE infrastructure. Finally, this article provides an example of how archaeological data can be aggregated across multiple providers.

Retracted: Research on the Development Path of Cultural Heritage Information Visualization from the Perspective of Digital Humanities

Retracted: Research on the Development Path of Cultural Heritage Information Visualization from the Perspective of Digital Humanities

Theorizing Cultural Heritage Informatics as the Intersection of Heritage, Memory, and Information

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the relationship between cultural heritage and collective memory through the lens of information. We explicitly frame the heritage‐memory‐relationship as constituting a theoretical foundation for the field of Cultural Heritage Informatics. In framing heritage and memory as information phenomena, we leverage two information frameworks that appear most suitable to host, translate, and overlay heritage and memory theory: Context, relevance, and labor (Fremery and Buckland, 2022) and Information as thing (Buckland, 1991). Altogether, this preliminary exploration 1) establishes a terminological understanding of cultural heritage, collective memory, and information/informatics; 2) maps these concepts with recourse to the Context, relevance and labor framework (Fremery and Buckland, 2022); 3) articulates cultural heritage informatics as the intersection of heritage and memory focused on processes of selection, transfer, and integration of historic information in the service of identity maintenance; and 4) offers a cultural heritage information framework that highlights the unique potential of Cultural Heritage Informatics to guide future information research in cultural information studies.

Retracted: Visual Dissemination of Intangible Cultural Heritage Information Based on 3D Scanning and Virtual Reality Technology.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/8762504.].

How generous interface affect user experience and behavior: Evaluating the information display interface for museum cultural heritage

AbstractMuseum web interfaces continue to be important in how users search for information and navigate through digital cultural heritage resources. A generous interface was deemed appropriate for displaying large amounts of digital cultural heritage. However, more example verification is required in this field of study. This study compared the traditional interface and the generous interface of the Liaoning Provincial Museum to investigate the role of a generous interface for cultural heritage collections. Forty second‐year design graduate students were randomly assigned to one of two interface groups: traditional interface or generous interface. Four variables were measured to compare the differences between the two interfaces for the participants. In addition, two parameters, holding time and average retrieval time, are recorded and used to evaluate and compare the impact of the two interfaces on user behavior. The generous interface, according to the findings, is more effective than the traditional interface in increasing participants' engagement with cultural heritage and is perceived to be more aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the generous interface has been proven to be more suitable for casual leisure users to explore cultural heritage information. This research provides the basis and reference for developing the web interface of cultural heritage collections.

Graph analysis on street network in a web browser

The paper presents a prototype of a system created to demonstrate the methodology for performing and visualising graph analyses on street networks in a web browser, using open standards (IIIF, Geospatial standards, web standards) for sharing and analysing cultural heritage information linked to geographical location.The main contribution is the creation of a tool that enables analysis of street networks from the very beginning, that is, the reconstruction of urban street systems based on archaeological site plans based on a variety of data obtained during archaeological research (invasive and non-invasive) to the visualisation of the network analysis results. The experiences of the carried-out analyses indicated both positive sides of the designed system and highlighted the limitations that must be taken into account when conducting network studies in the proposed workflow.In order to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed system, the plans of four ancient cities were analysed: Priene, Olynthus, Dura-Europos, and Piraeus. Although the presented solution provided a research tool for comparing spatial layouts in ancient cities, it can be applied to much broader research objectives. A significant advantage of the presented solution was the creation of a simplified tool for the execution of the above processes in a web browser, to be used by users without advanced GIS knowledge or programming skills and without switching between different tools to perform such analyses.

The Meaning of Kamomoose (Looking for a Partner) Tradition in the Community of Boneoge Village, Lakudo Sub-District, Buton Tengah Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

This study aims to describe and analyze the meaning of kamoose tradition in the people of Boneoge village, Lakudo Sub-district, Buton Tengah Regency because kamomoose tradition is a unique tradition carried out by the community as a form of cultural heritage which has meaning from every component in it. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative. Data collection is done by observation, interviews, and documentation. The data obtained was then /analyzed using the following steps: 1) data reduction, 2) data presentation, and 3) verification. The results of this study showed that kamomoose tradition is a cultural practice that has many symbols and meanings in it. In every element and procession of this tradition, some symbols form a complex fabric of meaning that is internalized and interpreted by the people who carry it out. The meaning of kamomoose tradition is important because it reflects beliefs, hopes, and values passed down from generation to generation.

A Survey of the Metadata Element Sets Used for Digital Art Objects in the Online Collections of the Museums of India

Digital technology advancements have had a significant impact on how people learn, search for information, and evaluate it. Indian cultural heritage institutions like GLAMs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) have also embraced a number of digitisation initiatives to increase access to their wide-ranging art collections. Digital paintings and other cultural heritage information artifacts can facilitate digital humanities research in multiple ways. Using an online content analysis and observation method, this study looks at how metadata elements are used to describe the different art collections in five national museums in India. The study finds that 13 categories of art objects are made available by all the museums. Each category is described by a different number of metadata entry elements. The study also finds the metadata elements that different museums prefer for different types of art objects, as well as the common elements. The findings highlight the need for standardisation in metadata practices to improve the discoverability and accessibility of cultural objects and show how crucial metadata is in facilitating access to cultural objects. The results could help GLAMs create metadata guidelines and strategies for their digital collections, which would make digital art objects more discoverable and accessible.

PRODUCTION OF DIGITAL CONTENT (3D ASSET) SOURCE RESOURCES FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE

Abstract. In Korea, several 3D digital documentation projects have been carried out to preserve cultural heritage, but limitations in high-capacity/high-quality data have hindered their use in virtual restoration. To address this, organizations have produced low-capacity, high-quality 3D assets since 2020, but disseminating 3D assets with metadata containing cultural heritage information is important to reduce errors in historical research during virtual restoration. To overcome this problem, the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea initiated the ‘Cultural Heritage Digital Content (3D Asset) Source Resource Production’ project in 2022. The project aims to convey and share the value of cultural heritage through 3D assets, which are complex due to the artistic values of units that must be contextually connected. Spatial and asset characteristics were classified into six categories of cultural heritage 3D assets, with the goal of turning tangible and intangible cultural heritage into 3D assets for comprehensive utilization. The cultural heritage digital source resources are a valuable resource for the creative industry.

A methodology for building domain ontology of cultural heritage

Abstract Ontology plays a vital role in linking and publishing heritage data. However, the main difficulties of building ontology faced by heritage institutions are how the cultural heritage information is integrated into a fine-grained ontology. Therefore, following the ISO principles of Terminology (ISO 1087 and 704), this article proposed a term-concept-characteristic methodology that is user-friendly for cultural heritage experts to build a fine-grained ontology. This article aims to provide a method to integrate the fine-grained knowledge of cultural heritage into an ontology, especially when it is necessary to build a fine-grained ontology for particular purposes, such as knowledge-based terminological resources.

Ontology and Software Tools for the Formalization of the Visualisation of Cultural Heritage Knowledge Graphs

Over the last decade, several projects have been developed to digitise and semanticise cultural heritage data. They have been developed to preserve and maintain this heritage, but also to make it accessible to all types of users and to other sectors such as tourism and education. These developments combine the use of knowledge graphs and interactive visualisation tools with web technologies. Although remarkably interesting projects have been developed, the data visualisation tools in these projects tend to focus on the project context. Consequently, it is difficult to reuse the results of these projects. In addition, there are characteristics of cultural heritage information, such as uncertainty and spatial and temporal granularity, that have not been considered, and how to deal with them has not been described. The same is true for other aspects, such as the relationships between different objects. Considering these problems, this study presents a model that formalises how to visualise this information. The design of an ontology that implements this model, based on other works such as VUMO or VISO, is described. Furthermore, the design and development of a software framework that allows the visualisation of this information through a web application are presented. The evaluation of the application of this framework in projects such as SILKNOW or Arxiu Valencià del Disseny is outlined.

Optimizing Local History Learning with The Saloka Application

This study develops an android-based augmented reality catalog model application. The catalog form was chosen because of the large amount of cultural heritage information that is important to research and document through the application. The results of this cultural heritage research will be packaged in an interactive application that is expected to help history teachers in teaching the history of Lamongan in an interesting way. The virtual catalog application is designed to be a pioneer of historical and cultural information for the Lamongan community and its surroundings. Plus the COVID-19 outbreak that is still hitting Indonesia, this application offers free and safe roaming of virtual cultural heritage. This research method includes the historical method to examine all cultural heritage as teaching materials and the ADDIE-based development method to develop the SALOKA application. The targets of this research are students, teachers, academics, and the community in Lamongan. In particular, this application is expected to help history teachers to teach local cultural/historical heritage to students in Lamongan so that learning is more interesting.
 Keywords: virtual catalog, learning history, lamongan, heritage

Barriers Faced by Youth in Seeking Cultural Heritage Information

Knowing barriers to information seeking is imperative as it regulates the degree to which individuals can access different sources. The aim of this study is to examine the barriers faced while seeking cultural heritage information. A survey-based questionnaire was used to collect data from the state of Manipur, India. The study employs stratified random sampling techniques and a sample of 400 respondents participated in this study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. Before analyzing the data validity and reliability test was carried out. SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. An independent samples t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was administered to determine significant difference between demographic variables and study variables. The mean analysis revealed, “information is not readily available” with a mean score=3.59 is the most vital barriers. 12 studied variables were subjected to factor analysis and generated three factors, i.e. independent, administrative and management barriers. Statistical analysis revealed that gender difference plays a significant role in dissimilarity in seeking CHI with an individual barrier; with p=0.050, female respondents have a higher difference with a mean score = 3.4289.

The Cultural Heritage Industry’s New Standard for Educational Information Access

This article provides an overview of best-practices for the cultural heritage sector to share educational information with patrons and those seeking information from the commemoration of historical events. Worldwide, cultural heritage institutions seek to promote their collections and services using various formats. However, several issues have impeded the optimal results of such best practices commemoration endeavours. These include global lockdowns and travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This paper is based on an exploratory study utilising quantitative data on the popularity of online connectivity for information sharing and data mining from cultural heritage institutions and services. A self-administered survey was used to investigate whether such online practices may be used to fulfil knowledge and information gaps caused by global disasters that lead to national lockdowns. Subsequently, the public has been encouraged to interact through non-contact means for improving the public’s knowledge of current and future cultural heritage information. Using a systematic sampling method, dichotomous questions were sent to respondents randomly chosen from chronological museum mailing lists. Through a systematic sample of 100 museum visitors, the results analysed were generalised to encompass archive visitors. The results were analysed using corelated statistical data analysis to assess if using online connectivity to seek information was a feasible process and exceeded the expectations of information seekers’ needs. This study found that online services and internet connectedness are the best viable approaches to acquire information and knowledge from archives and museum collections. Therefore, cultural heritage institutions’ curators must refine their online services to serve a worldwide clientele that constantly seeks information about educational archives, museum collections and significant historical events.

Metafore del Cibo – una forma di eredità culturale e innovazione linguistica. Un paragone tra metafore del cibo in romeno, inglese e italiano

"Food Metaphors – A Form of Cultural Heritage and Linguistic Innovation. A Comparison between Romanian, English, and Italian Food Metaphors. Food is the centre of our world, both as a vital resource, and as a social, religious, and aesthetical experience. The cognitive theory of metaphor focuses on the capacity of food metaphors to convey representations of the world specific to individual languages. The aim of our research is to compare food metaphors in Romanian, Italian, and English. The cognitive frameworks taken into consideration reveal common representations of physical and moral human features that Italian, English and Romanian speakers associate with food metaphors. In this manner, food metaphors act as a cultural matrix encoding beliefs and stereotypes about us, about what we perceive as success and/or failure. Also, the food metaphors have a strongly motivated character, as the traits of food are similar to the physical and moral traits of the human beings. Nevertheless, the comparison of the three languages reveals differences in the foods that are considered central, vital to each gastronomic community and in the traits that are valued or disregarded. Another subchapter of our research analyses food metaphors in argot, albeit its fast transformation due to its functioning as a secret language. Keywords: food metaphors, cognitive framework, cognitive theory, Italian, Romanian, English "

Web accessibility of Indian cultural heritage information: an analytical study of museum websites

PurposeThis paper compares the web accessibility of Indian museum websites assessing the level of compliance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1). The study aims to assess the accessibility of Indian museum websites in terms of their severity.Design/methodology/approachThe accessibility evaluation of 11 Indian museum websites was conducted using Siteimprove Accessibility Checker (SAC), an automated website testing tool.FindingsThe study results indicate that the mean conformance score for the Indian museum websites for level A was 19.27, while for level AA and AAA, it came out to be 2.63 and 4.09, respectively, with the highest severity scores for error (16.3) followed by review (5.81) criteria and warning (3.81). The major findings indicate that the websites of Indian museums poorly conform to web accessibility guidelines.Practical implicationsThe study's findings will assist the museum's website creators, managers and administrators in determining the level of conformity as per standard accessibility guidelines helping them make strategic decisions to improve the accessibility.Originality/valueMost of the studies available in the field of website accessibility range from the web accessibility of educational institutions, tourism websites, municipal websites and ministerial websites, but there are very few studies investigating the accessibility of museum websites. A quantitative evaluation of different aspects of accessibility was conducted in the study, which can pave the way for the better design of web sites by addressing deficiencies.