Emerging trends in GIS application on cultural heritage conservation: a review

Abstract

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based technologies are increasingly crucial in the domain of cultural heritage conservation, facilitating the construction of dynamic information management systems and serving as robust platforms for research and display. This review utilizes CiteSpace and Bibliometrix R language to perform a bibliometric analysis of academic literature sourced from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection, focusing on the application of GIS in cultural heritage conservation. The analysis covers a broad spectrum of academic articles, identifying research hotspots, patterns of national cooperation, interdisciplinary mobility, knowledge structure, and developmental trends. The findings reveal that this research area is experiencing a phase of steady growth. While three emerging trends have been identified, demonstrating significant theoretical and technical advancements, there remains considerable potential for enhancing in their practical implication within conservation efforts. The study advocates for the integration of digital technologies into the humanities, emphasizing the need for a heritage database equipped with standardized data exchange protocols to support display and analytical functions. This systematic research approach not only illuminates new strategies for the inheritance and innovation in the conservation of cultural heritage, but also paves the way for future explorations in this increasingly vital field.