A review of recent efforts in digitalization and application of endangered scripts

Endangered scripts carry local knowledge and culture, making digitalization vital for cultural continuity. This paper reviews 120 publications (2011-2025) through computing and design lenses and proposes a phased classification. Our analysis shows that the literature prioritizes technical aspects of digital preservation, while application-oriented studies remain limited. This paper argues for a paradigm shift from preservation to revitalization, calling for community partnership, cultural grounding, and collaboration with creative disciplines.

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Publication Details

Journal
npj Heritage Science
Published
2026-04-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-026-02522-7
Primary Topic
Digital and Traditional Archives Management
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

A review of recent efforts in digitalization and application of endangered scripts

Fugee Tsung, Jia-Qi Shi, Kang Zhang
npj Heritage Science
Digital and Traditional Archives Management
article

A review of recent efforts in digitalization and application of endangered scripts

Fugee Tsung, Jia-Qi Shi, Kang Zhang
article en

Abstract

Endangered scripts carry local knowledge and culture, making digitalization vital for cultural continuity. This paper reviews 120 publications (2011-2025) through computing and design lenses and proposes a phased classification. Our analysis shows that the literature prioritizes technical aspects of digital preservation, while application-oriented studies remain limited. This paper argues for a paradigm shift from preservation to revitalization, calling for community partnership, cultural grounding, and collaboration with creative disciplines.

npj Heritage ScienceVol. 14(1)
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HK)
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Partnerships for the goals
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Digital and Traditional Archives Management
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