what is the eSAD Project?

June 30, 2009 at 2:27 pm · Filed under digital humanities, e-science, humanities computing

(The magnifying glass is perhaps a form of ‘Interpretation Support System’.

The eSAD project is another ambitious and well-conceptualised project from AHRC-EPSRC-JISC Arts and Humanities e-Science Initiative (sorry, an overly complicated set of acronyms here…my acronym is bigger than your acronym!)

Anyhow what particularly attracts me to this project is its use of the concept of a Interpretation Support System.  What I think this means is that the systems is designed to help researchers make decisions about what is presented to them on the screen and feed it back into the system. I like this a lot as it put the researcher’s tacit knowledge at the centre of the task because after all, the digital humanists are also tools in the digital humanities.

The Image, Text, Interpretation: e-Science, Technology and Documents project (also known as eSAD: e-Science and Ancient Documents) aims to use computing technologies to aid experts in reading ancient documents in their complex task. The four year project, being undertaken at the University of Oxford with input from University College London, is funded under the AHRC-EPSRC-JISC Arts and Humanities e-Science Initiative, and will run until the end of 2011.

The project will work on creating tools which can aid the reading of damaged texts like the stilus tablets from Vindolanda. Furthermore, the project will explore how an Interpretation Support System (ISS) can be used in the day-to-day reading of ancient documents and keep track of how the documents are interpreted and read. A combination of image processing tools and an ontology based support system will be developed to facilitate experts by tracking their developing hypotheses.

The system will also suggest alternative readings (based on linguistic and palaeographic data) as they undertake the complex reading process, aiming to speed the process of understanding a text. The project also aims to investigate how the resulting images, image tools, and data sets can be shared between scholars.

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Digital boost for work of arts

June 30, 2009 at 11:49 am · Filed under Virtual Reseach Environments, digital humanities, humanities computing

An article in the Times Higher Education supplement about the Arts and Humanities e Science support Centre (AHESSC) here at King’s College in London.

Imagine the research possibilities of being able to view three-dimensional scans of museum objects, write dance moves electronically or study ancient documents that were previously considered too damaged to decipher.

E-tools are being developed to allow researchers to do these things, aiding scholarly work in subjects that are not usually associated with such technology, such as museum curation, dance, archaeology and music. The tools are also opening new possibilities for researchers who want to process a large amount of data or share resources more widely (link).

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The value of slow thinking?

June 23, 2009 at 9:24 am · Filed under blogs, deliberation

(thanks to that wonderful blog net.effect for the image)

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Oxford Internet Survey 2009 Report: The Internet in Britain

June 22, 2009 at 11:56 am · Filed under internet, web2.0

(A interesting new report from the Oxford Internet Institute)

The Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, has today released the OxIS Report 2009, the latest report in a series of Oxford Internet Surveys (OxIS) that cover the changing landscape of Internet access, use and attitudes in Britain. Dutton, W.H., Helsper, E.J. and Gerber, M.M. (2009) Oxford Internet Survey 2009 Report: The Internet in Britain. Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford. Download OxIS 2009 [PDF, 1.9MB]: http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/oxis/oxis2009_report.pdf OxIS website: http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/microsites/oxis/ The Report will be formally launched at the House of Commons later this afternoon at an event hosted by Derek Wyatt, MP. Presentations on the significance of OxIS will be given by representatives from the sponsoring organisations: Adrian Arthur (British Library), James Thickett (Ofcom) and Mark Cowtan (Scottish and Southern Energy). Read the rest of this entry »

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New Digital Humanities Quarterly (DHQ) available: Spring 2009: v3 n2

June 19, 2009 at 10:54 am · Filed under digital humanities, humanities computing, journals

Digital Humanities Quarterly is a refreshing and innovative online journal in the Digital Humanities field. The latest issue is about the concept of ‘completion’ in a Digital Humanities work. As Mathew Kirschenbaum atates: “How do we know when we’re done? This cluster of articles explores completion and incompletion in the digital humanities from a variety of perspectives”. And from the Editor: Julia Flanders.

As we head towards the fourth anniversary of the journal’s inception,
I would like to thank the entire DHQ team for all of their hard work,
creativity, and sense of adventure. Thanks as well are due to all
those who have contributed to the reviewing and have given the authors
such thoughtful feedback and advice. Finally, we all thank the authors
for the excellent material they have enabled us to publish, and the
journal’s readers for their attention.

Best wishes and thanks to all–Julia

Julia Flanders
Editor-in-chief, DHQ
Brown University

Quarterly (http://www.digitalhumanities.org/dhq/)

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The influence of Web 2 on eResearch and computing infrastructures

June 16, 2009 at 3:28 pm · Filed under Virtual Reseach Environments, digital humanities, digitisation, e-science, humanities computing, web2.0

There is a lively debate in the UK about the influence of Web 2.o on eReseach and new computing research infrastructures.  The eScience institute in Edinburgh has a theme relating to this which is led by Professors Mark Baker and David De Roure.

The number of Web 2.0 services and applications, widely used by Internet users, academics, industry and enterprise, are growing rapidly, which demonstrates its solid foundations. These technologies and services are based on the open standards that underpin the Internet and Web, and are used in many forms, e.g. blogs, wikis, mashups, social websites, podcasting and content tagging. This field is having a significant impact on distributed infrastructure and applications, and on the way users and developers interact (link).

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Photos from Iran elections #iranelections

June 16, 2009 at 9:31 am · Filed under political communication

A smashed computer monitor in a room in a Tehran University dormitory after it was attacked by militia forces during riots in Tehran (thanks to Payman for the link).

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How to track Iranian protests online #iranelections

June 15, 2009 at 9:53 pm · Filed under media, political communication, politics, video

Here is how to find out about the Iranian elections online. Please send me your links. Also, Twitter’s down time has been rescheduled because of the important role that it is playing in the US elections (see link).

Hash Tag: #Iranelections (search and post your blogs and tweets with this).

• Breaking Tweet http://www.breakingtweets.com

• Andrew Sullivan’s Blog (link) Thanks to D.P. for the link

• uk-iran.com (link) Thanks to Payman for the link

• Monitter.com (real-time trending tweets)

• Mashable.com http://mashable.com/2009/06/14/new-media-iran/ (and excellent guide to using new media to track the election in Iran).

• Google Blog Search http://blogsearch.google.com/

• (Flickr. search on Iran and Protests)

• Youtube (Citizenstube)

“The popular Iranian cartoonist, Nikahang Kosar, depicts Ahmadinejad as a bandit holding Iran to ransom. This is his take on the official result” (from the Guardian)

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The Shahnama Project (Iran)

June 15, 2009 at 9:20 pm · Filed under art, digital humanities, digitisation, humanities computing

One of my favourite projects within the broader Digital Humanities field; a masterpiece of Persian art and a damn fine piece of Digital Humanities scholarship as well.

Firdausi’s Shahnama (Book of Kings), completed in eastern Iran in around A.D. 1010, is a work of mythology, history, literature and propaganda: a living epic poem that pervades and expresses many aspects of Persian culture. Thousands of manuscript copies of the text, the earliest dating from 1217, exist in libraries throughout the world. Many hundreds of these are illustrated with miniature paintings, some of them among the most magnificent masterpieces of Persian art (link).

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How to set Username on Facebook?

June 13, 2009 at 8:16 am · Filed under social media, web2.0

I know that this is a complete yawn, but unless you know the exact URL to go to, setting the new user name on Facebook is a complete pain in the arse. Here is the URL: http://www.facebook.com/username/

I got the username that I have been using around the traps for 10 years! Milkbar http://www.facebook.com/milkbar

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eSI Public Lecture: “How Web 2.0 Technologies and Innovations are Changing e-Research Activities” by Mark Baker

June 12, 2009 at 2:46 pm · Filed under e-science, web2.0

(This lecture will be web-cast live and available on demand)

The e-Science Institute Public Lecture Announcement
—————————————————
The e-Science Institute is also delighted to host a public lecture by Prof.
Mark Baker. The public lecture is again open to all interested parties in
academia and industry. There is no need to register for this event and those
attending the lecture are invited to join us for tea and coffee at 17:00.

Speaker: Prof. Mark Baker
School of Systems Engineering
University of Reading

Topic: “How Web 2.0 Technologies and Innovations are Changing e-Research
Activities”

Date and Time: 16:00, 16 June 2009
Place: Newhaven Lecture Theatre
e-Science Institute
15 South College Street
Edinburgh
http://www.nesc.ac.uk/esi/events/960/

Read the rest of this entry »

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Repository66.org Repository Maps

June 12, 2009 at 2:17 pm · Filed under repository

An excellent project that maps the world’s digital repositories into Googlemaps. Thanks to David Curry for the link.

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Blogging & Tweeting Academia

June 12, 2009 at 1:59 pm · Filed under blogs, web2.0

A HASTAC Scholars Discussion Forum open now at http://www.hastac.org/scholars/forums/04-16-09Blogging-Academia

As the tools necessary for creating blogs and other forms of micro-publishing (podcasts, videocasts, microblogs) have become more readily available, many academics have been quick to embrace these new forms of communication. However, academics blog for many different reasons, such as disseminating scholarship, demystifying the inner workings of the academy, or promoting themselves in an uncertain job market. Many academics are employing blogging in the classroom, assigning podcasts as required reading, creating collaborative class blogs, and experimenting with Twitter to develop classroom community. In this forum we will be discussing the theory and practice of academic blogging. The academy has not yet settled on the role that digital scholarship will take in relation to more traditional forms of scholarship, and for this reason scholars are still struggling with questions about the role that bloggers play in spreading disciplinary knowledge, and how this kind of activity should be measured. Likewise, the pedagogical value of blogging, let alone “best practices” guidelines for incorporating blogging into the classroom, are still somewhat up in the air. Join us as HASTAC Scholars John Jones and Ramsey Tesdell facilitate a discussion about such questions as:

Read the rest of this entry »

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Science and Heritage Post-doctoral Fellowships Call

June 12, 2009 at 9:51 am · Filed under digital humanities, history, humanities computing

(This would be  a great opportunity for those interested in pursuing a career in public history. You have to be less that five years out of your PhD;  I am 6 years out. Damn! )

(The Harley Davidson ‘Heritage’. A legendary synthesis between science and heritage )

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are taking forward a joint £8.1m programme entitled Science and Heritage to support leading-edge research which will explore new ways to understand the cultural and physical nature of heritage and to prepare society for the challenges that cultural heritage will face in the 21st Century.

As part of this Science and Heritage programme, AHRC and EPSRC are offering Post-doctoral Fellowships to enable outstanding early career researchers to establish independent research careers in heritage science. Potential candidates should have up to, but no more than the equivalent of five years’ post-doctoral experience. The fellowships will be for a duration of three years full time (up to 5 years part time) and will primarily cover the salary costs of the Fellow, travel and subsistence and consumables.

Funding is available to support between four and six Post-doctoral Fellowships.

AHRC is administering this call on behalf of AHRC and EPSRC.

The deadline is 4pm Thursday 10 September 2009
Further Information:

More details can be found on the AHRC website

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Christine Borgman lecture@OII

June 9, 2009 at 8:49 pm · Filed under collaboration, digital humanities, e-science, eresearch, humanities computing

Christine Borgman gave an interesting lecture at OII (Oxford Internet Institute)  recently (she is one of the Keynote speakers at this years Digital Humanities Conference.  One of the major points that I retained from this talk is that Data is not objective fact. Data is simply the ‘alleged evidence’ as one researchers observations may differ from anthers (this is almost always the case in the humanities). The lecture is available online.

Capturing and curating data for reuse is a key challenge of cyberinfrastructure: Christine Borgman compares developments in scholarly information infrastructure and cyberlearning, reflecting on the implications for scholarship in the digital age (link).

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