Fine-Tuning the Historian's Macroscope: Data Reuse and Medieval Korean Biographical Records in Neo4j

Abstract

This article explores the development and application of a historian’s macroscope, a computational framework that enables multiscalar exploration of medieval Korean biographical records using Neo4j. While digitization has greatly expanded access to historical sources, existing methodologies struggle to integrate large, heterogeneous datasets while maintaining interpretive rigor and contextual specificity. This research demonstrates how a graph database model enhances historical inquiry by enabling the dynamic traversing of patronage and kinship networks. Unlike conventional network visualization tools, which often impose a rigid divide between individual detail and macrostructural patterns, Neo4j facilitates seamless transitions across different levels of analysis. This discussion illustrates how the macroscope helps historians uncover obscured relationships, refine analytical focus, and generate new research questions. More broadly, it highlights the need for methodologies in digital history that move beyond large-scale visualization to critically engage with the complexities of historical sources.

Keywords:

• digital history,
• korean history,
• medieval history,
• neo4j,
• prosopography,
• graph database,
• macroscope,
• data reuse