Computer mapping of geography and border crossing in scandinavia

Abstract

In his article "Computer Mapping of Geography and Border Crossing in Scandinavia" Øyvind Eide discusses computer based methods for enquiry into a set of border protocols created in the mideighteenth century based on interviews with inhabitants of northern Scandinavia. Most of the interviews are with common people: semi-nomadic reindeer herders, fishers, and farmers of Sámi, Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish origin. Eide discusses the value of the interview material as source material which can be used to understand the way people spoke, especially about geographical matters. The data and their analysis suggest the relevance of mediality and materiality with not only scholarly but general knowledge impact. Accepting the shortcomings of the data, Eide demonstrates that with available methods of digital humanities the border protocol material is worth a close study as a possible source of knowledge about cognitive structures of people in the multi-ethnic area of northern Europe. © Purdue University.