Digital Representation in Multivocal Communication of Cultural Heritage Insights from a Systematic Literature Review

Multivocality, literally meaning multiple voices, in the digital representation of cultural heritage (CH) refers to the diverse perspectives and narratives expressed by stakeholders integrated through digital representations. Although interest in multivocal design of CH has grown in recent years, there remains a lack of systematic reviews exploring how design and evaluation approaches support multivocal communication. This study addresses this gap through a systematic literature review reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement. The database searches identified 833 records. After removing 316 duplicates, 517 records underwent title and abstract screening. Of 196 full-text reports assessed for eligibility, 29 studies were included in the final synthesis. The findings reveal that (a) in design, the inclusion of broader participant groups at different stages enables communities to collaboratively shape cultural content; (b) in evaluation, analysis extends the traditional dimensions of existing frameworks, highlighting the need for culturally contextualized and co-defined assessment models; and (c) in digital representation, different hardware and media forms present different affordances for supporting multivocal expression. Overall, this review clarifies how multivocality can be supported through design, evaluation, and representational choices, offering theoretical and methodological guidance for more inclusive digital CH practices.