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Digital Humanities - Introduction: Getting started with ArcGIS: Home

Introducing Digital Humanities methods, practices and support at Exeter

What is GIS?

GIS, (Geographic Information System), which include application-based GIS systems, webmapping, and spatial network analysis, is used to define spatial relationships, both in relative terms and in with regards to their absolute position on the planet's surface.

Benefits

  • The ability to compare independently produced datasets; offer topographical, environmental and political context; produce compelling and informative visualizations at a range of scales.
  • Potentially relate a historically remote period or even fictional events to the user's experiential knowledge (e.g. 'Sherlock Holmes' London').
  • The interactive nature of digital media also allow for a much greater range of complexity to be managed, manipulated and viewed than is possible with paper maps.

Specific challenges

  • The need to reduce complex real-world phenomena into simplified sets of abstract symbols
  • The application of spherical co-ordinate systems to a planet that does not perfectly conform to them
  • The projection of 3-dimensional data onto a planar surface (whether a printed map or a computer monitor)

ArcGIS

ESRI ArcGIS logo​ArcGIS is a GIS system developed by ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) that is used to work with maps, spatial data and other geographical data to produce a visualisation of the data you are working with. 

ArcGIS Pro: 

This software combines all of the ArcGIS apps and helps with 2D/3D visualisation of data alongside working with AI and python plug-ins. Below are a list of apps (within ArcGIS) that you may need to know about when working: 

  • ArcMap- which is your main app to create and analyse maps/data (of which the majority of this Libguide is linked to).
  • ArcScene- view and edit 3D spatial data in projected views.
  • ArcGlobe- good for the display of any large 3D datasets.
  • ArcCatalog- this is used in conjunction with ArcMap to map out your connected folders where the data you are using is stored. When using ArcMap, it is recommended you open ArcCatalog first to link the folder the data is in through to ArcMap. 

ArcGIS online allows you to create maps and manipulate your spatial data through an online platform. It also has some extra tools that can be used such as Story Map Tour (look at geotagging for more information on this). 

 

How is ArcGIS used for spatial humanities data?

Particularly within the Digital Humanities, we consider approaches that apply to humanistic questions - how can they be used with incomplete, uncertain, contested and conflicting data? How might qualitative attributes such as emotional or political sentiment be captured? And how do we present results in a manner that conveys our conclusions, without eliminating important nuances, to an audience that may be unfamiliar with them?

Examples of how it can be used within subjects: 

  • Archaeology- examples include representing the real position of artefacts found within the field, to show the transition between different periods/material culture associated with these periods and to visualise 3D/spatial relationships.
  • History- examples include overlaying modern and historical maps to see how a landscape may have changed/remained the same, to assess how architectural features sit within a landscape spatially and to represent how people may have moved within a landscape. 
  • English Literature- examples include analysing literature through geotagging place names, mapping the setting of literature for visualisation purposes i.e elevation and position in the landscape and to compare historical cartography with literature.   

ArcMap basic use:

ArcMap Interface.

Here is an image of the interface so you can get familiar with the location of icons and options you do have. 

The ArcMap interface showing all icons

1) ArcCatalog

Open up ArcCatalog to connect to the folder your data is in. See the next image to show how to do this once the Catalog opens on the right hand side. 

Mouse hovering over catalog icon.

2) Data all in one place

Press the folder icon with a black cross on it to open up the connection to your data. Once done, you should have all your files at hand when working with them in the left hand corner of your Table of Contents.

Folder icon with black cross on it.
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