Digital archives, big data and image-based culturomics for social impact assessment: Opportunities and challenges

Kate Sherren, John R. Parkins, Michael Smit, Mona Holmlund, Yan Chen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Social impact assessment (SIA) is well-established but uses conventional approaches that have become less effective in recent decades, particularly in relation to declining survey response rates and a lack of youth engagement. Images from digital archives and social media sources are poised to advance the research and practice of SIA by transcending text-based methods with insights into changing landscapes, and human engagement with them. This viewpoint describes progress, challenges and cautions toward the development of such tools (defined as culturomics), using hydroelectricity cases to illustrate potential approaches. These tools build on foundational work in a range of disciplines, including the humanities and computer science. We describe necessary advances in machine learning, image digitization, and data aggregation and visualization techniques, as well as ways to ensure that such tools are carefully tested, applied and interpreted. Challenges include the automation, acquisition and management of datasets, and using these tools appropriately and equitably. Critically, culturomics of any kind must not be used as a replacement for engagement with people, but as complementary to inclusive stakeholder engagement.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)23-30
Number of pages8
JournalEnvironmental Impact Assessment Review
Volume67
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2017

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to acknowledge funding for Chen from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Grant #435-2012-0636, 2012-2016, Parkins PI) and a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship, and thank Elena Bennett for insightful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Inc.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Ecology
  • Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

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