The recent development of digital mapping applications has provided many options for the humanities to utilize their resource for research and outreach purposes. Indeed, many maps and adjunct resources featuring particular topics are currently being produced and published in the humanities. However, such attempts often do not consider the dissemination of their content to users without professional knowledge or skills. Furthermore, effective cocreation with a society based on the resources of the humanities is still under development. To seek solutions to these problems, this paper discusses the utilization of digital resources in the humanities for research and social cocreation through a case study of the distributional map of archaeological sites in south-east Arabia. This map structure comprises the base data and mapping application. In doing so, resilience against the demise of mapping services is ensured. The base data basically rely on published information. The application used is Google My Maps, which is presently the most ubiquitous for personal portable devices connected to the Internet. This well-known application enables easy access to simple, user-friendly content. Such an application is available in south-east Arabia and has led to the involvement of local people in learning about the archaeological sites. At this point, the map content contributes to the cultivation of positive social cocreation among humanities researchers. The map also effectively provides essential data for further research. Academic and non-academic contributions have engendered the circulation of knowledge to improve the content. This finding indicates that similar relationships between academics and society can be created vis-à-vis other digital resources, particularly those designed to reach out to non-academics. Applying to popular applications is one of the preferable solutions for this realization. Digital-based content can further advance humanities studies and social cocreation through practices involving many stakeholders beyond academics.
Taichi Kuronuma (Fri,) studied this question.