How does GIScience support spatio-temporal information search in the humanities?

Abstract

Recent text digitization efforts make it possible to extract implicit and explicit spatio-temporal information with automated methods. We propose a GIScience approach to information search and access to visually explore digital text archives typically employed in the humanities. We detail how to extract and reorganize spatio-temporal information buried in text documents about Swiss history, based on established GIScience methods, and how to present this information to target users in an empirically evaluated visual analytics interface. Early involvement of users in this user-centered interface design process significantly improved initial design ideas. With this interdisciplinary approach to spatio-temporal information exploration and search, we hope to provide the digital humanities community novel ways to access and explore large text archives containing spatio-temporal information.

Keywords::

• digital humanities
• geovisual analytics
• information search

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Curdin Derungs, Jannik Strötgen, and Julian Zell, who specifically helped us to implement the GIR portions of this research. We are also grateful to Katja Hürlimann, Ross. S. Purves, and Damien Palacio for their continued, invaluable feedback on this project.