EAGER: New Way of Writing History: Visualization of the Geography of Knowledge in Arctic Research, 1890s to 1960s

Colgate University, Hamilton NY

Investigators

Abstract

This research project will create an online resource called an EventMap based on content from the history of Arctic science. An EventMap is a sequence of annotated Google maps controlled by a Timeline: each map corresponds to a time interval, and together a map and a time interval represent an Event. The Timeline makes it possible to navigate event sequences and observe changing event patterns over time. Event locations can be represented by points, lines, polygons, and image overlays (e.g., scanned maps). Every event is linked to an annotation that can contain arbitrary web content, including multimedia (such as audio and video interviews with scientists), and output from complex Web applications. e.g., GIS data filtered through an analytical tool. The participating historians of science will collaborate with software engineers and computer scientists to create a Semantic Web store of information from which EventMaps can be dynamically produced. Just like different database views are produced by SQL queries, so EventMaps will be produced by a Semantic-Web query that specifies the content of interest. Although this project concentrates on the history of Polar research, the technology will have a broad impact on all disciplines that study changes over time: migrations; spread of ideas; changing boundaries of languages and dialects, to name a few. The history of Polar research has been chosen for this small pilot project because its content is particularly well suited for an EvenMap; it is geographically constrained, it is a relatively new science, and its history has been well documented, thanks in great part to the IGY/IPY events. EventMaps are designed for collaborative authoring. Their store of information can be in a database or in Google spreadsheets, maintained on Google servers around the world. The spreadsheets can be private, public, or shared with invited participants. Google provides HTML forms for adding data to spreadsheets. The resulting framework for collaborative authoring does not require advanced computer skills or server maintenance. The submitted data can go through an editorial review or be immediately displayed "live." While this pilot project will be authored by a small group of scientists, it will be further developed by a larger group of collaborators. The technology is also well suited for maintaining an annotated-map communication among widely dispersed local communities or field stations, using a variety of devices including smartphones.