GRAPHIA: Keeping Social Sciences and Humanities Researchers at the Heart of its Design Process
Author: Crystal Silver
Photo: Abertay University’s Prof. Stefano De Paoli and Dr Kathy Ann Fletcher. Photo credit: Abertay University.
GRAPHIA will be the first comprehensive Knowledge Graph for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) enriched with Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Model applications. GRAPHIA partners are taking a user-centric approach to innovation, ensuring that SSH researcher needs drive the development process.
Interviews Capture Insights from Researchers
GRAPHIA partner Abertay University, in collaboration with other project partners, recently led the first round of User Experience research. The research captured insights directly from SSH researchers to shape the platform’s future.
The map below illustrates the geographic distribution of researchers across 17 European countries, reflecting an intentional effort to achieve as broad a sample as possible within the project’s scope. Researchers spanning SSH disciplines, including cultural heritage, digital humanities, and sociology, participated. The in-depth interviews not only identified the technical and analytical needs of researchers but also opened up dialogue relating to the usability and accessibility of GRAPHIA. SSH researchers interviewed expressed enthusiasm for their insights being valued in GRAPHIA’s design process. As one researcher noted:
“This project is super relevant and exciting… by including the end-users in the design and implementation of GRAPHIA, the team has built user engagement from the very beginning. This is the best way to get unique insights into user needs and make sure those insights lead to the best outcomes for the project…”
By prioritising user needs from the outset, GRAPHIA aims to provide an intuitive platform that enhances data visualisation and analysis, making it easier for SSH researchers to extract meaningful outputs from complex sources. Another researcher highlighted the importance of this user-focused approach:
“Sometimes we forget that research infrastructures are built on the researchers’ needs… The fact is, that tools and sources, if they are made for research, should fit with how researchers do their job… That’s why I think [User Experience] research is more important than ever, to really invest… in services that speak to their users.”
Next Steps: Analysis and Co-Design Workshops
Interviews complete, analysis of the transcripts is underway. The findings will be instrumental in informing the design process and ensuring that GRAPHIA aligns with the needs and expectations of SSH scholars. But the engagement doesn’t stop there. Moving forward, co-design workshops will be conducted to maintain an active feedback loop with researchers about GRAPHIA’s functionality and interface. This iterative process will allow for refinement and adaptation of the platform, ensuring that GRAPHIA is a researcher-led innovation.
Follow GRAPHIA’s Progress and Get Involved
Interviewees expressed interest in following GRAPHIA’s development so that it is a platform they can easily adopt when it launches. One commented:
“…now that you got me somehow involved, I would actually appreciate [being kept updated on GRAPHIA’s progress]. And you know, at some point realise that I already know something about [GRAPHIA] and I can jump into it. It’s not a completely new world opening to me.”
GRAPHIA partners are committed to communicating development progress with the SSH community. Researchers interested in contributing to future co-design activities are encouraged to stay connected. Perspectives from a broad range of disciplines are crucial in shaping the future of the platform. Join the GRAPHIA mailing to be informed about upcoming workshops and engagement opportunities; sign up here. Project updates will also be released on GRAPHIA’s LinkedIn, Bluesky, and blog.
