Big Data and the Prospects of Historical Research - A study of research in modern and contemporary Korean history -

Abstract

The most basic tasks in historical studies are to collect and organize historical sources. The advancement of big data technology will greatly transform these tasks, above all in collecting historical sources necessary for writing about our times. The collected data will include the type of materials that did not exist in the past. And it will be collected and used as a great historical source that enriches the historical writing and understanding of our times. Big data technology will also lead us to new methodologies for writing history, and this will require further research and development by research historians. Big data technology is advancing alongside AI technology. The role of AI will grow bigger and more pronounced in big data collection and analysis. However, it is important to note that collecting and analyzing big data still requires value judgments. In a deluge of data, historians must distinguish which are true and which are false; they have to filter through worthless data and find useful information. Moreover, researchers must take great pains to think about and persuade people regarding the use of personal information in the fierce controversy over privacy. This is an area that requires expertise and human judgment. The development of big data and artificial intelligence makes us realize that such “objectivity and positivism” should not stop at simply verifying the facts. The development of big data technology emphasizes the need for researchers to provide historical insights, ironically. It is now up to research historians to explore and search for different ways to write history by reaching beyond objectivity and positivism. Of course, historians are not the only ones to undertake this task; researchers in all disciplines must work together to find solutions.