Thinking Activity:- Digital Humanities
Hello Readers! This blog is a response to the thinking activity which is assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. In this blog I am dealing with what is digital humanities and what we do under digital humanities. Here is a link of Barad sir's blog. ( Click Here to know more details of Digital Humanities)
Digital Humanities:-
Introduction of Digital Humanities:-
Digital Humanities descends from the field of humanities computing, whose origins reach back to 1940s and 50s, in the pioneering work of Jesuit scholar Roberto Busa, which began in 1946, and of English professor Josephine Miles, beginning in the early 1950s. In collaboration with IBM, Busa and his team created a computer -generated concordance to Thomas Aquinas writings know as the Index Thomisticus.
What is Digital Humanities (DH) ?
The Digital Humanities, also known as humanities computing, is a field of study, research, teaching, and invention concerned with the intersection of computing and the disciplines of the humanities. It involves investigation, analysis, synthesis and presentation of information in electronic form. It studies how these media affect the disciplines in which they are used, and what these disciplines have to contribute to our knowledge of computing.
" Digital Humanities are Primarily Concerned with using Digital technologies, Sources and methods as part of research in the Humanities."
Digital Humanities refers to the use of both modern and traditional technologies to create, analyze, and interpret information. It involves collaboration among individuals from various fields, including humanities, technologist, librarian, and social scientist. Unlike traditional academic research, digital Humanities projects are often collaborative and aim to reach a wider audience. In this digital age, where our cultural heritage is increasingly shifting to digital formats and our relationship with knowledge, technology, and society is changing, humanities play a crucial role.Digital Humanities expands on traditional humanities inquiry, helping us understand, criticize, compare, contextualise, and assess digital publications and the platforms that support them.
" There will be always third alternative Option, which is answered by Technology. "
People actually start loving their Job if Technology Comes. Humanities Stand for human freedom. While, Digital tools Binds & Control People. When we are discussing about Digital Humanities It is also important to understand that ;
"One learns lot many things from Virtual experience, rather than Physical experience."
Digital Humanities means using technology to help us understand literature, history, and culture better. It's important to use technology as a tool, not to let it control us.
● Few Specific examples of digital tools and Projects withhin the field of Digital Humanities :-
GOOGLE NGRAM VIEWER :-
Google Ngram Viewer is a tool that helps researchers see how often words and phrases appear in a large collection of books scanned by Google. It lets them study how language use changes over time.
https://books.google.com/ngrams/
I've provided the link for you to explore Google Books Ngram Viewer, a useful tool for studying language trends. You'll notice that it now includes some textbooks that weren't there before.
The Rossetti Archive :-
The Rossetti Archive is a digital collection featuring the works of the Rossetti family, key figures in the Pre-Raphaelite movement. It offers access to digitized manuscripts, artworks, and other materials for researchers and the public.
http://www.rossettiarchive.org/ When you will Click on search Engine the Page will Open like this. I have put the image also, So it is easy for you tonundestand.
The Victorian Web :-
The Victorian Web is a commendable digital initiative in the realm of Digital Humanities. It concentrates on the literature, culture, and history of the Victorian era (1837 - 1901). This platform offers a wealth of online materials, including scholarly articles, essays, and resources that delve into various facets of Victorian society.
The Victorian Web stands as one of the pioneering digital projects devoted to the exploration of Victorian literature and culture. It has expanded to include an extensive collection of content contributed by scholars and experts in the field.
In summary, The Victorian Web is a significant and enduring example of a digital project in the field of Digital Humanities. This online database is highly valuable for those interested in studying the Victorian period and its cultural and literary contexts.
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA ) :-
The DPLA (Digital Public Library of America) is a large collection of digitized materials from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. It offers free access to a diverse array of cultural and historical resources, encompassing books, photographs, manuscripts, and artworks. This one is also very intresting Digital project or we can say digital tool for exploring. The link is given here. https://dp.la/
Overall, These digital tools and projects in the field of Digital Humanities play a crucial role in democratizing access to information, facilitating research, and enhancing our understanding of various aspects of culture, history, and literature.
Key Concepts of Digital Humanities:- (Generated by ChatGPT )
Certainly! Digital Humanities (DH) encompasses a wide range of key concepts that leverage technology to study and enhance our understanding of various aspects of human culture and history. Here are some important concepts within Digital Humanities, explained in detail:
1.Digitization:
- Definition: Digitization involves converting analog information into digital form. In DH, this process is applied to texts, images, manuscripts, and various cultural artifacts to make them accessible and analyzable in digital formats.
- Importance: Digitization facilitates preservation, accessibility, and analysis of cultural heritage, making resources available to a broader audience.
2. Text Encoding:
- Definition:Text encoding involves marking up the structure and content of a text using a standardized system like XML or TEI (Text Encoding Initiative).
- Importance: Text encoding allows for the creation of structured, machine-readable texts, enabling advanced search, analysis, and visualization of textual data.
3.Data Mining:
- Definition: Data mining involves extracting patterns, knowledge, and insights from large datasets using computational techniques.
- Importance: In DH, data mining helps discover hidden patterns in cultural and historical data, aiding researchers in identifying trends and making connections.
4.Geospatial Analysis:
- Definition: Geospatial analysis involves studying and visualizing data in relation to geographic locations.
- Importance:This concept enables researchers to explore the geographical dimensions of historical and cultural phenomena, creating maps and visualizations for analysis.
5.Textual Analysis:
- Definition: Textual analysis involves examining patterns, themes, and linguistic structures within written or spoken texts.
- Importance: In DH, textual analysis is used to study literature, historical documents, and cultural artifacts, providing insights into linguistic and narrative patterns.
6.Network Analysis:
- Definition:Network analysis studies relationships and connections between entities, represented as nodes and edges in a network.
- Importance:Applied in DH, network analysis helps reveal social, cultural, and historical connections, showcasing the interrelated nature of various elements.
7.Digital Archives:
- Definition: Digital archives store and provide access to digital versions of historical documents, manuscripts, photographs, etc.
- Importance:Digital archives preserve cultural heritage, making primary source materials easily accessible for research, education, and public engagement.
8.Machine Learning:
- Definition: Machine learning involves algorithms that enable computers to learn from data and make predictions or decisions.
- Importance: In DH, machine learning is used for tasks like sentiment analysis, pattern recognition, and automated categorization of cultural and historical materials.
9.Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR):
- Definition: VR immerses users in a computer-generated environment, while AR overlays digital content onto the real world.
- Importance: DH utilizes VR and AR for immersive experiences, allowing users to explore historical sites, artifacts, or cultural contexts in new and engaging ways.
10.Collaborative Digital Scholarship:
- Definition: Collaborative digital scholarship involves scholars working together on digital projects, often across disciplines.
- Importance: Collaboration enhances the scope and depth of DH projects, fostering interdisciplinary approaches to research and knowledge creation.
These key concepts highlight the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of Digital Humanities, showcasing how technology can be harnessed to advance our understanding of human culture and history.
Some Activities we done Under the Study of Digital Humanities :-
The CLiC Dickens project, initiated in 2013 at the University of Nottingham and now a collaborative effort with the University of Birmingham, employs computer-assisted methods to study literary texts. Specifically focusing on the analysis of fictional characters, this project uses Corpus Stylistics to gain new insights into how readers perceive characters in Dickens' works. It's a fascinating exploration of literature through digital tools.
Engaging in the Moral Machine activity is an interesting aspect of our exploration in Digital Humanities. This platform gathers human perspectives on moral decisions made by machine intelligence, particularly in scenarios involving self-driving cars. The dilemmas presented force participants to consider situations where a driverless car must choose between two undesirable outcomes, such as sacrificing two passengers or five pedestrians. This activity allows us to assess and discuss the acceptability of different outcomes in moral decision-making by machines.
So In this two activities we engaged during our study of Digital Humanities in the English Department.
If you're interested in exploring both projects, I've already provided the links.
Can a Computer Write Poetry?
This video by Oscar Schwartz explores the intriguing topic "Can a Computer Write Poetry?" It provides a well-explained discussion on the subject.
Here is a link ( Can a Computer Write Poetry) to a brief quiz. After watching the video, you can participate in the quiz by determining whether the poetry was written by a human or a computer. Take the quiz after watching the video.
As part of our Digital Humanities studies, two research scholars from the Department of English at MKBU conducted presentations. Ms. Prakruti Bhatt introduced us to Electronic Literature, and Ms. Kavisha Alagiya discussed Hypertext Fiction and Hypertextuality. You can watch the video recordings of both sessions.
Both sessions were fascinating, providing valuable insights into the study of Digital Humanities. Prakruti Ma'am also handed out a worksheet, and while working on it, we discovered various new sources of Electronic Literature. You can explore these sources through the given links.
https://sites.research.google/versebyverse/
https://collection.eliterature.org/4/
To conclude, Digital Humanities is a transformative field that utilizes technology to enhance our understanding of human culture and history.
Word Count:- 1,670
Images:- 07
Videos:- 06
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