Text, images and statistics: Integrating data and approaches using geospatial computing

Abstract

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) originated as a quantitative technology with a social science paradigm. Its early uses in humanities disciplines followed this approach such that much of the best developed research in ‘Historical GIS’ is associated with quantitative statistical analysis. Technological advances mean that it has become increasingly easy to use GIS with qualitative sources such as texts and images. This in turn has led to an increasing uptake in geo-technologies across the humanities and the development of ‘Spatial Humanities’. This paper explores how the different types of data can be used to deliver new research outcomes and examines how GIS allows different academic paradigms to be used in a synergistic way to bring together traditionally separate disciplines and approaches.