Introduction
Thanks to digitisation efforts over the past decades, humanities scholars now have access to large digital data collections which can be analysed computationally and quantitatively. Such datasets offer a huge range of opportunities to develop new approaches to answer research questions, from the practical to the high-profile.
Our Mission
The Humanities and Data Science group has been strengthening relationships and building collaborations at the intersection between data science and digital humanities since its creation in 2017. We raise the profile of data-driven humanities research at the national level, nourish interdisciplinarity, and promote collaborations that seek research excellence while strengthening links with national institutions, organisations, and universities.
The synergy between humanities and data science becomes more important than ever for tackling modern challenges brought by technological advances and AI, ensuring that such advancements are grounded in ethical and human-centred perspectives. By sustaining a constructive dialogue between the humanities and the sciences, we demonstrate how data science research can answer questions relevant to the humanities and vice versa, benefiting both fields.
Our Approach
We achieve our aims through:
- Regular meetings and workshops fostering collaboration
- Joint research projects bridging disciplines
- Knowledge sharing across diverse perspectives and methods
- Community building among experts from digital humanities, historical data research, information science, computer science, natural language processing, and related disciplines
Background
This independent research group builds on the legacy of the Alan Turing Institute’s Humanities and Data Science special interest group, continuing to advance computational approaches in humanities scholarship.
For example in the past the group collaboratively wrote a white paper “The challenges and prospects of the intersection of Humanities and Data Science” also presented at the Digital Humanities Congress 2022 which has received substantial attention, with Barbara McGillivray leading and co-authors: Beatrice Alex, Sarah Ames, Guyda Armstrong, David Beavan, Arianna Ciula, Giovanni Colavizza, James Cummings, David De Roure, Adam Farquhar, Simon Hengchen, Anouk Lang, James Loxley, Eirini Goudarouli, Federico Nanni, Andrea Nini, Julianne Nyhan, Nicola Osborne, Thierry Poibeau, Mia Ridge, Sonia Ranade, James Smithies, Melissa Terras, Andreas Vlachidis and Pip Willcox. Which has received substantial attention, including Barbara McGillivray’s interview with the Economist. The white paper is available as:
McGillivray, Beatrice Alex, Sarah Ames, Guyda Armstrong, David Beavan, Arianna Ciula, Giovanni Colavizza, James Cummings, David De Roure, Adam Farquhar, Simon Hengchen, Anouk Lang, James Loxley, Eirini Goudarouli, Federico Nanni, Andrea Nini, Julianne Nyhan, Nicola Osborne, Thierry Poibeau, Mia Ridge, Sonia Ranade, James Smithies, Melissa Terras, Andreas Vlachidis, Pip Willcox (2020). The challenges and prospects of the intersection of humanities and data science: A white paper from The Alan Turing Institute. Figshare. dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12732164
The Group
Our group includes experienced researchers who bring expertise from across the humanities and data science spectrum. You will also find us in communities working on Digital Humanities, Computational Humanities, Digital Cultural Heritage, AI in Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and other related groups.
We are transitioning to a new leadership team, our thanks to Barbara McGillivray and Andreas Vlachidis for their dedication and contributions as co-convenors up to this point.
Get Involved
Interested in joining our community? We welcome researchers, academics, and practitioners working at the intersection of humanities and data science.
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