In this talk I will discuss the ongoing work amongst DARIAH researchers on the idea of a Text & Data Analytics Working Group. The Group has x members, and is co-chaired by Fotis Jannidis of Würzburg and me.
The abstract for this workshop articulates very well the difficulties associated with the application of digital methods to humanities scholarship. Is there a presumption of technological positivism? Does the machine always help? Almost certainly not.
Our working group is focused on the idea that it is necessary to engage in a three-way conversation: we want to educate humanists in leveraging technology (that means how-to, but also why and why not to).
-
Who uses Digital methods, and who doesn't?
-
What can Digital methods do, and what can they not do?
-
When can Digital methods be used, and when shouldn't they be used?
-
Why are they applicable and why not?
-
How can they be used?
One of the project examples is Cendari, which is an infrastructure for research into archives. Cendari was focused on permitting scholars to investigate across multiple archives, in multiple locations, with a focus on the hidden and the under-resourced. Two test cases were chosen: WW1, and Mediaeval Manuscripts.
Taking a User-Centric approach, Cendari developed three key pieces of infrastructure:
- A directory of Archives (and their holdings)
- A set of collaborative research guides
- A research workspace
The Data challenge presented is substantial. Archives' contents were represented in different formats, different primary languages. The same metadata fields could vary widely in their actual use.
http://www.cendari.eu/sites/default/files/WhiteBook-Web.pdf
Evaluation, correctness and significance.