A Use Case Lens on Digital Cultural Heritage

Abstract: This article proposes a novel methodological approach for developing use cases for CH e-infrastuctures documented using Jupyter Notebooks (JNs), enabling transparency and reproducibility. We also address the present problem of use cases that are not consistently documented to cover all key aspects that are derived from the use case literature review outside of CH field to define a useful use case. Purpose. Our primary objective is to explore the practices around creating and analysing use cases related to digital cultural heritage. Our review of the literature showed a substantial deviation in the depth and coverage of use cases and revealed the need for a more robust and consistent approach to creating use cases in a digital heritage context. We developed a framework to develop use cases to support the ongoing efforts to expand the use of eInfrastructures in the digital heritage domain as a first step. Design/methodology/approach. Our research design combines desk research of existing literature and analysing examples of use cases documented in projects. We examine the challenges and inconsistencies in the current practice of use case production in digital heritage. Finally, we synthesize a systematic process to generate use cases which is illustrated by five example use cases within the context. Our work impacts directly such infrastructures and communities as the International GLAM Labs Community, AI for Libraries, Archives, and Museums (AI4LAM) and Time Machine Organisation. This work advances the use of data research infrastructures within communities of researchers, scholars, students, GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) institutions, and Cultural Heritage and Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs).