New Paths to Spatial Expression from a Digital Humanities Perspective

In the context of the digital age, digital humanities has evolved into a cutting-edge interdisciplinary field that deeply integrates computational and humanistic thinking, representing a fundamental shift in research paradigms driven by data, employing computation as a methodological approach, while remaining guided by the humanities. The importance of spatial representation has become increasingly prominent in this paradigm shift. Visualization technology is particularly crucial compared to other spatial representation methods. As a core method in digital humanities research, it can closely match computational models to humanities data, thereby building a bridge for interdisciplinary research. This study aims to systematically analyze the design principles and implementation paths of typical visualization technologies based on a literature review and to reveal their methodological value in the cutting-edge field of digital humanities. Spatial thinking in human geography underwent four major shifts. This study proposes a new framework for three visualization paths based on the spatial production theory, arguing that spatial representation from a digital humanities perspective is a digital translation of the geographical spatial triad. First, text visualization corresponds to "conceptual space," transforming massive amounts of unstructured text into abstract cognitive maps, aiming to reveal the power logic and cultural imagination behind discourse. Second, geographic visualization corresponds to "experiential space," using geographic information technology to locate data in concrete perceptual maps, aiming to reconstruct the locality of historical events and humanistic activities. Third, relational visualization corresponds to "lived space." Through nongeographical networks of actors or topologies of power and capital, it aims to reflect the reshaping of geographical patterns through social relations. The dialectical relationship among these three elements constitutes a methodological innovation in the expression of the digital humanities space, manifested as a three-dimensional model that is cyclically reinforcing and ultimately unified in specific humanities issues. These new visualization paths help to grasp the multifaceted nature of the concept of "space" in digital humanities, covering both mainstream technological methods and connecting the key directions of humanities research—meaning, place, and connection. They also aim to transcend instrumental technological applications, focusing on how to reconstruct the "spatial imagination" of humanities research through digital methods: methodologically, transforming humanities objects into computable spatial models; epistemologically, revealing hidden spatial logic through visual representation; and in terms of discipline construction, providing a clear research paradigm for digital humanities. In short, the triadic framework of text, geographic, and relational visualization systematically responds to the methodological need for digital humanities to provide an operational and computable interpretation of "space." It precisely corresponds to the complete spectrum of humanistic spaces—conceptual space, experiential space, and lived space—and by promoting cross-validation and fusion analysis of multi-dimensional data, propels digital humanities research from fragmented data presentation to holistic and explanatory spatial integration and theoretical generation. Notably, in this process, we must be wary of both technological instrumentalism and visual centrism, thereby providing a positive reference for the paradigm shift and discipline construction of digital humanities. In particular, new paths for spatial representation must establish a balance between computational precision and humanistic depth, ultimately promoting a shift in research paradigms from purely technology-driven to human-centered intelligent reconstructions.