The advancement of digital technology has significantly transformed the academic landscape, impacting various fields beyond science and medicine, including the humanities and cultural studies.
Digital humanities, a new discipline merging digital technology with the humanities, offers innovative approaches to studying and preserving both tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
This field addresses challenges faced by the humanities in an increasingly technological world, reviving its relevance through digital tools such as computers, the internet, and big data analytics.
Practically, digital humanities encompasses software use for text analysis, digital mapping of historical events, cultural big data analysis, local wisdom digitization, and visualization of cultural artifacts.
For Indonesia, a maritime nation with hundreds of ethnic groups, digital humanities presents a significant opportunity to enhance access to its rich cultural heritage, which is often hindered by geographical and bureaucratic barriers.
Examples include digitizing manuscripts, historical archives, traditional artworks, and ethnographic collections stored in various institutions, making them accessible via social media and reducing access costs.
Digital humanities also facilitates cultural analysis. Natural language processing (NLP) technology allows researchers to analyze Indonesian literary works comprehensively, identifying patterns and themes across different historical periods.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology aids in visualizing historical and cultural changes in Indonesia, providing insights into societal movements, trade routes, and the spread of religions.
Moreover, digital humanities supports the preservation of endangered regional languages through the digitization of dialects, enhancing their accessibility for learners.
Big data analytics is also employed to study cultural phenomena, including social media trends, which reveal insights into the evolving cultural landscape of Indonesia.
Despite its potential, challenges such as inadequate technological infrastructure, funding limitations, and ethical concerns regarding data usage persist. Addressing these challenges is crucial for the successful implementation of digital humanities in Indonesia.