Challenges in geotagging encyclopaedias

Abstract

Encyclopaedias, as a reliable source of knowledge produced by experts and lexicographers, are, among other characteristics, known for their reliability, accuracy, and precision. The spatial representation of encyclopedic knowledge has in a way been used for a long time, such as in thematic maps, but the digital age has brought significantly expanded possibilities. However, in the absence of an established model for marking and displaying (geotagging) encyclopedic knowledge, few works make full use of such an approach. Creating such a model has some challenges. Locations names (of cities, streets, squares, etc.) can change over time, which can be a challenge when trying to do a complex search or display information on a map. In such cases, solutions are sought to reduce information to a common label, which is the principle of text regularisation (normalisation). The research was prompted by efforts to improve the online edition of the Croatian Encyclopedia of Technology by the Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography on the Croatian Technical Heritage Portal. The authors analyse the current encyclopedic practice of recording place names that have changed over time, and consider which forms of recording best suit the specific, practical requirements of digital encyclopedic projects of today. Such a way of marking and displaying would increase the usability of encyclopedias because, along with providing information that is accurate, it would enable users to easily search, browse, and look up knowledge on a map.