Visualising humanities data

Visualization of data is undertaken for a variety of reasons, uses, and purposes in the humanities. Ultimately this forms part of a process of knowledge construction through exploration and discovery. The act of visualizing data as information is both an individual inward pursuit as well as an external performance. Engagement with the viewer/participant and audience raises questions, provokes discussion, and can stimulate activism. Traditionally non-humanistic disciplines have tended to often focus on using data visualization specifically for analysis and definitive substantiation. Until recently, few data visualization tools have been created specifically to fulfill the humanities' unique needs, which has led to adoption and adaptation, often involving conscious or unconscious compromise towards heuristic ends. As a result, these otherwise-engineered tools and methods pose challenges to visualizing humanities data. This chapter explores these challenges and issues to encourage reflection and possibly inspire effective remedy