Fine-Tuning the Historian's Macroscope

Data Reuse and Medieval Korean Biographical Records in Neo4j

Bibliographic Data

ID17827356
AuthorsJavier Cha (0000-0003-4900-2923, University of Hong Kong, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume11
Issue1
Publication date2026-02-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Cultural Analytics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2371-4549 • E-ISSN: 2371-4549
PublisherCA: Journal of Cultural Analytics (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.22148/jca.1027
OpenAlexW7131782224
LanguageEN
References cited12

This is an accepted article with a DOI pre-assigned that is not yet published.This article explores the development and application of a historian’s macroscope, a computational framework that enables multiscalar exploration of medieval Korean biographical records using Neo4j. While digitization has greatly expanded access to historical sources, existing methodologies struggle to integrate large, heterogeneous datasets while maintaining interpretive rigor and contextual specificity. This research demonstrates how a graph database model enhances historical inquiry by enabling the dynamic traversing of patronage and kinship networks. Unlike conventional network visualization tools, which often impose a rigid divide between individual detail and macrostructural patterns, Neo4j facilitates seamless transitions across different levels of analysis. This discussion illustrates how the macroscope helps historians uncover obscured relationships, refine analytical focus, and generate new research questions. More broadly, it highlights the need for methodologies in digital history that move beyond large-scale visualization to critically engage with the complexities of historical sources

Data visualization · Digitization · Graph drawing · Process (computing) · Traverse · Visualization · Computational and Text Analysis Methods · Data Visualization and Analytics · Digital Humanities and Scholarship

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access