A collaborative GIS workflow for digital heritage documentation along the Sandakan heritage trail

Shahida Mohd Sharif; Izyan Ayuni Mohamad Selamat.

Transactions on Science and Technology, 12(3-2), Article ID UMS-ReS3OA2, pp 1 - 15.

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ABSTRACT
The Sandakan Heritage Trail contains layered colonial and multi-ethnic histories, but deteriorating signboards, redevelopment pressures, and fragmented custodial documentation have reduced their accessibility. Digital technologies offer new possibilities for preserving interpretive materials, yet secondary cities typically face constraints in custodial capacity and archival continuity. This study develops a collaborative GIS workflow that integrates ArcGIS Field Maps, ArcGIS Survey123, ArcGIS Online, and ArcGIS StoryMaps in cooperation with municipal authorities, museum officers, and public universities. The workflow documents site locations, interpretive materials, and selected accessibility information, while a separate internal dataset captures evaluative walkability observations for municipal planning and future academic analysis. Archival referencing is used to situate signage within established historical sources without modifying narrative content. Preliminary implementation generated a geospatial inventory of interpretive boards and monuments, supported by photographs, coordinates, and provenance metadata. A prototype StoryMap was produced, combining narrative summaries, archival context, and route visualization. The digital consolidation made representational gaps—particularly the dominance of colonial and missionary narratives and the absence of everyday local histories—more visible than when sites are viewed individually. The workflow demonstrates how a lightweight, collaborative GIS model can preserve dispersed heritage materials, clarify provenance, and enhance interpretive accessibility for educators, students, remote users, and individuals with mobility constraints. The outputs offer a transferable approach suitable for secondary cities with limited preservation resources and fragmented archival infrastructure.

KEYWORDS: Digital heritage; ArcGIS Online; Field Maps; Survey123; StoryMaps; Accessibility.



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