Before we begin our mapping project, let’s take a few moments to familiarize ourselves with GIS within the context of Digital Humanities.
What are the Digital Humanities?
Digital Humanities (DH) are the application of computational technology in the humanities. Technological developments (e.g. computers, internet, smart devices, augmented reality, chips, processors, and so on) impacted the growth of the digital humanities—an interdisciplinary field that uses digital tools, software, and techniques to research the humanities. DH brings together a wide range of scholars in the humanities with the aim of enhancing research by using digital technologies. Digital methods and tools allow scholars to study, interpret, and visualize their research in new ways, including illustrating complex data sets with creative visuals and interactive graphics to share their research in more visually appealing ways, providing researchers with a broader audience worldwide.
What is Geographic Information Systems (GIS)?
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in digital humanities allow art historians to integrate spatial analysis with historical, cultural, and literary studies to better analyze artistic exchange and cultural interactions. GIS enables scholars to perform spatial analysis to help uncover new insights, such as tracking people’s movements, mapping historical events, and visualizing the geographical distribution of artistic exchange and cultural interactions. It aids in storytelling, enhances research by adding spatial context, and allows for interactive and dynamic data presentations that can engage a wider audience. Moreover, GIS skills are also valuable in the job market, enabling students to have various opportunities in landscape and urban planning, heritage preservation, and visualization by making research dynamic and engaging.
Below is a small list of Digital Humanities projects that use themes of geography, space, and/or maps: