DESIR

Resources

• Shaping new approaches to data management in arts and humanities

  EN

  The DESIR Winter School provided a unique opportunity to learn about how to maximize the potential of scholarly resources and to take practical steps in opening up research in ethically and legally responsible ways.

• Cowboys and Consortia: Thoughts on DH Infrastructure

  EN

  In this lecture, Quinn Dombrowski shares her thoughts on Digital Humanities Infrastructure, with a special focus on sustainability. She argues that solidarity (i.e. recognition of the interests of the larger group) is a prerequisite for the sustainability of DH infrastructures.

• Cultural Innovation

  EN

  This video features a keynote speech given by Riccardo Pozzo, in his capacity as Chair of the DARIAH Scientific Board, during the final event for the DESIR project, held in Zagreb in November 2019. In it, he discusses co-creation and cultural innovation, and how research infrastructures play a key role in this.

• DARIAH can help researchers to use digital methods at every stage of their research

  EN

  Maija Paavolainen explains the challenges of finding a 'common language' in the digital humanities. She finds that simply talking about this issue helps. Thus, experience in communicating across disciplines is a positive outcome of training initiatives in itself. The role of research infrastructures, she argues, is certainly in sharing tools and best practices. However, most importantly, it is also to create opportunities for people to meet and learn face-to-face. She explains that humanities scholars are more accustomed to using digital methods and tools in the initial (information gathering) and final (publication) stages of research. However, DARIAH, specifically, can help them to also use them in the core part of the research process - i.e. in organising, annotating, and enriching data.

• DARIAH's Role in Connecting with Arts and Humanities Researchers

  EN

  In this lecture, Sally Chambers, Digital Humanities Research Coordinator at the Ghent Centre for Digital Humanities outlines how DARIAH as a Research Infrastructure works within Europe to connect with arts and humanities researchers. She elaborates on how such a European Research Infrastructure could start to work more widely internationally.

• From Literary History to Digital Research Infrastructure: Pushing Beyond Boundaries

  EN

  In this video, Jennifer Edmond gives us insights into her background in critical theory approaches and German literary history, through a spell in technical support and research strategy in the humanities, and how this has impacted her work in DARIAH. She talks about the importance of pushing beyond the foundations of your academic training to do new things in the humanities. How can the system vaildate this kind of groundbreaking research, and make it possible for early career researchers to make the leap? She explains the unique role of DARIAH in this process.

• How do we Design Infrastructure that Connects?

  EN

  How do we design infrastructure that connects? This panel discusses collaborative platforms, partnerships between research and cultural sectors, and libraries as labs. It features presentations by Seb Chan — Chief Experience Officer, Australian Centre for the Moving Image and Dr Marie-Louise Ayres — Director General, National Library of Australia.

• Humanities, Augmented: Ecologies of Digital Research Practices

  EN

  This lecture by Mark Algee-Hewitt reflects on practices of doing research in the digital humanities and how the way in which we talk about research impacts upon the kind of things that we can do.

• One phrase that appears again and again is: 'continuous training'

  EN

  Claire Clivaz explains how she has found that the tensions between disciplines in interdisciplinary work can be similar no matter what disciplines are being combined. Encounters between biology and computing, for example, can be as challenging as between humanities disciplines and computing. Dr Clivaz, herself, began her academic career in biblical manuscript studies but developed an interest in the digital humanities very quickly, at a time when the impact of computing was being felt in the humanities more widely. She explains the usefulness of the DH Course Registry in finding university-based, formal, DH training in Switzerland. However, she argues that informal opportunities to learn are crucial. One phrase that appears again and again in the digital humanities, she states, is: continuous training.

• Research Infrastructures are Vital in Providing Hands-on training

  EN

  Building on an unusual interdisciplinary background that combined computer science and literature in equal measure, Frank Fischer found his place in the digital humanities. In this video, he explains how his background has enabled him to understand 'both sides' of a digital humanities project - i.e. the humanities and the technical. He discusses the distinction between formal and informal education, arguing that the more 'alternative' teaching methods used in the digital humanities (workshops, summer schools etc) are crucial in developing new skills. Finally, he discusses how research infrastructures are vital in providing this kind of hands-on training, since they synthesise the 'social' and the 'technical'.

• Research Infrastructures Should Inspire, Theoretically and Practically

  EN

  Agiatis Benardou began her academic career with degrees in ancient history, and her first employment was in cultural organisations. She met and was hired by a scholar who introduced her to digitisation projects and as a result she was exposed to the 'digital world'. Dr Bernardou became involved in preparing DARIAH as a project, and her experience in digitisation was useful in her professional transition into work in a research infrastructure. She argues that research infrastructures are all about people. They should focus on inspiring researchers theoretically, and also practically by exposing them to the most state-of-the-art tools and techniques.

• Researchers Have to Talk a Lot, Exchange Ideas - to Try to Understand Each Other

  EN

  Salvador Ros has a background in physics and computer science, and is now working in the digital humanities. Humanities scholars and scientists have different ways of thinking, he points out in this video. This can be a problem, he finds. Both sides lack knowledge about each other's disciplines, so researchers have to talk a lot, exchange ideas - to try to understand each other. Humanities scholars who want to conduct digital research need to know at least the basic concepts of the relevant programming languages, he argues. He ends by discussing the definition and roles of a 'research infrastructure' such as DARIAH, especially in facilitating digital tools and how to use them in relation to our research questions.

• The DARIAH Big Idea: Pathways to Building Sustainable Infrastructure Over Time

  EN

  Professor Jennifer Edmond, President of the Board of Directors of DARIAH-EU, presents pathways to building sustainable infrastructure over time, future directions for DARIAH, the humanities and arts in Europe and beyond. She asks the audience to help DARIAH to think about what it means to be a European reseach infrastructure.

• Transformations: What are the Big Challenges and Opportunities for Data-intensive Research?

  EN

  What are the big challenges and opportunities for data-intensive research over the next ten years? This panel discusses digital transformations in the humanities and arts, data ethics and sovereignty, and infrastructure with impact. It features presentations by Dr James Rose (Indigenous Studies Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health) on Data Sovereignty in a Colonial Context: Towards an Integrated National Governance Framework for Australia, Dr James Smithies (Director, King's Digital Lab) on Integrating DH into the longue durée: Research Laboratories, History, Methods.

• We Are a 'People Infrastructure' and Training is Crucial to That

  EN

  In this video, Laurent Romary gives his perspective on training and education in research infrastructures. He reveals how his engineering background taught him precision in analysing computer concepts, and how this has impacted on his role in a humanities research infrastructure. He proceeds to focus on DARIAH's role as a 'people infrastructure' and the importance of training in that. He considers the importance of adaptability of training to learners from differents scholarly communities and competence levels.

• We Should Think More About Learning Environments

  EN

  In this video, Sinai Rusinek explains her background in philosophy, together with her experience of the material text from work in the library. In her postdoctoral career, she began to seek out digital techniques that had not been available to her in her single-disciplinary studies. Dr Rusinek reveals that her own source of learning was at international workshops, including one organised by DARIAH-DE. She found this mode of learning inspiring in organising her own workshops and hackathons in Israel. She recommends that we should all think more about learning environments and how we learn best, collaboratively. Possibly, she recommends, we should organise more 'hackathon-like' events.

• What is the Role of Training and Education in Research Infrastructures?

  EN

  DARIAH Director Toma Tasovac spoke to fellow DARIAHns and colleagues from prospective DARIAH countries about the role of training and education in digital research infrastructures.

• What Skills, Knowledge and Workforces are Needed into the Future?

  EN

  What skills, knowledge and workforces are needed into the future? This panel discusses interdisciplines and methods, emerging data practices and 'Humanities 4.0'. It features presentations by Professor Jean Burgess (Director, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology) on Digital methods and the future of communication and media research and Professor Joy Damousi FASSA FAHA (Lead Chief Investigator) on Future Humanities Workforce project and by Associate Professor Mitchell Whitelaw (Australian National University).

• You don't have to be a programmer, but being technically equipped is important in the digital humanities

  EN

  Martin Lhoták first began digital research in an IT department, which formed his connection with information systems and databases, as well as the development of software tools and the digital humanities. Unlike many librarians, he does not have a humanist background, but instead a technical education, so finds that he speaks differently from the humanities scholars he works with. However he finds interactions with these scholars interesting and inspiring. Regarding training, he argues that being technically knowledgeable - though not necessarily a programmer themselves - is essential for doing research in the digital humanities.