Work Package
WP1: Methods for Digitization and Geolocation
The goal is to develop methods for digitization, as well as for geolocation and metadata completion of historical material relevant to infrastructure projects and research: photos, films, maps, older reports, and documentation from previous measures. This, in turn, aims to increase searchability and create the possibility to retrieve material linked to geographic locations, historical infrastructure measures, and relevant user groups.
The methods developed will be applied to source material from the project's four case studies. The work package includes the following main activities:
- Identification and selection of relevant historical sources for each of the four case studies. The preliminary study's inventories serve as a basis here.
- Digitization of selected material from the four case studies, mainly photos and films related to road and railway history, but also maps and text documents.
- GIS-based geolocation and metadata completion of these archival sources in combination with Lantmäteriet's aerial photos (orthophotos) and kartbild.com.
- Master's thesis students in, among others, library and information science and archival science are offered thesis topics related to the work package (see further WP 3).
AP2: Interviews for Needs Analysis
The goal is to identify needs and potential solutions for handling and utilizing historical source material through interviews with investigators and specialists, consultants, and researchers.
The work package includes the following main activities:
- Key individuals within Trafikverket's areas of operation are identified and interviewed. These key individuals include, for example, specialists within Trafikverket, consultants, and researchers in transport history.
- The interviews aim to capture "best practice" and experience-based knowledge, which is analyzed and documented. This knowledge forms the basis for the portal prototype and handbook developed in work package 4.
AP3: Student projects in library and information science, archival science and ethnology
Through the aforementioned collaboration with the Department of Cultural Sciences at Lund University, students in ethnology participate in a field course located at one of the case study sites. Additionally, thesis students in, among others, information science and ethnology will be offered thesis topics that investigate the potential of transport history archival sources both as sources and methods for digital accessibility.
Note: since the students themselves choose the subject for their theses, it is not possible to determine the scope in advance.
AP4: Asset Register, Handbook, and Portal Prototype
The overall goal is to increase the accessibility and usability of transport and infrastructure historical sources, which should, among other things, be beneficial within Trafikverket for the management and design of infrastructure environments. Another goal is that this should encourage and benefit transport historical research in a broad sense.
This work package is based on, collects, processes, and presents the results of the other work packages in an "asset register". By providing routines for how transport historical sources can be searched and archived after completed projects, resources are built that can facilitate workflows, handover, and mediation within and across operational sectors. These are gathered in a digital "handbook". The work package also investigates the conditions for a digital "Transport Historical Portal". Both the asset register and handbook are linked to this.
The work package includes investigating technical solutions that enable coordination with existing systems as well as long-term management and updating.
