070312 UE Course on Methodology - Spatial Histories: A GIS Approach to Understanding the Past (2024W)

Course description
The aim of this course is to acquaint students with the third dimension: space, where the events and processes happened in historical research, and implement in in their approach towards any historical question. Students will develop an insight into how to connect space to various historical processes and events, and how to discover their relations by overviewing basic and pre-intermediate principles and practices of Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Although historical geography is a traditional part of the discipline of history, the use of GIS is not restricted to this subject. Due to the versatile application of GIS in historical research, its use has been growing. GIS makes it possible to add a spatial reference to any kind of (historical) problem, and with that, it opens new possibilities for research, both in terms of opening new questions and providing more data to be analysed in more ways. This course intends to involve students in the use of these applications and, with that, broaden the potential of their own research. In the first stage, the course focuses on developing practical skills in basic visualisation and analysis of primarily vector data of diverse historical processes. During that, the students will be introduced to open-source programs (predominantly QGIS) and free datasets that can be of assistance. The course will be built up of both theoretical and practical classes. Students will be expected to develop their own term project in the form of diverse GIS maps, which will be presented at the end of the term.
The course is suitable for students with little or no experience in GIS who would like to get acquainted with spatial thinking and visualisation or integrate GIS into their diploma work. The course will be taught in 180 min. blocks.

This course not only equips students with valuable GIS skills but also encourages them to think critically about the role of spatial analysis in historical scholarship. It fosters a deeper understanding of how geographical data can be used to enhance historical narratives and research.

Learning outcomes:
This course aims to:
• Equip students with valuable GIS skills
• Encourages them to think critically about the role of spatial analysis in historical scholarship
• Foster a deeper understanding of how geographical data can be used to enhance historical narratives and research

Course Objectives
After completing the course, students will:
• Develop skills in georeferencing historical maps and integrating diverse data sources.
• Analyse historical events and trends through spatial analysis.
• Create and interpret maps that communicate historical information effectively.
• Engage with current debates and methodologies in digital history and spatial humanities.
• Will be able to create datasets, visualise and analyse vectorised information in simple and more complex maps
• Acquire an additional approach in their own research
• Be able to make further progress in GIS applications on their own