Middlebury Wikigate Revisited

Posted on 2007-03-20 by Tom Elliott

Back in January, I made some hooting noises and pointed at Jimmy Wales in the context of the tempest-in-a-teapot that erupted after the Middlebury College History Department added Wikipedia to its list of works students may not cite in papers.

One of the more useful published reactions to the whole affair — certainly more useful than mine — seems to me to be Cathy Davidson’s Op-Ed in the Chronicle of Higher Education, “We Can’t Ignore the Influence of Digital Technologies” (53:29, 23 March 2007 [sic!]).
Among other provocative suggestions, she asks:

Rather than banning Wikipedia, why not make studying what it does and does not do part of the research-and-methods portion of our courses? Instead of resorting to the “Delete” button for new forms of collaborative knowledge made possible by the Internet, why not make the practice of research in the digital age the object of study?

Those, like me, who don’t subscribe to the Chronicle can read the letter via Davidson’s blog at HASTAC.

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ECDL 2007 submission extension

Posted on 2007-03-15 by Tom Elliott

Via a note forwarded to the JISC-REPOSITORIES list, John Robertson alerts us to an extension (until 22 March 2007) of the submission deadline for “papers, panels, posters and demos, doctoral consortium and tutorial” for the 11th European Conference on Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries.

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Mellon Award for Technology Collaboration

Posted on 2007-03-15 by Tom Elliott

From the Mellon Award for Technology Collaboration website (where you’ll find all the details):

The Program in Research in Information Technology of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation invites nominations for the 2007 Mellon Awards for Technology Collaboration (MATC). In support of the Program’s mission to encourage collaborative, open source software development within traditional Mellon constituencies, these awards recognize not-for-profit organizations that are making substantial contributions of their own resources toward the development of open source software and the fostering of collaborative communities to sustain open source development.

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Digital Humanities 2007 registration open

Posted on 2007-03-15 by Tom Elliott

By way of John Unsworth’s note to the HASTAC list, we learn that the schedule and online registration are now available for Digital Humanities 2007, complete with an unfunny logo.

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Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography: 2006 Annual Edition

Posted on 2007-03-14 by Tom Elliott

From Charles Bailey’s post to JISC-REPOSITORIES:

The Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography: 2006 Annual Edition is now available from Digital Scholarship:

https://www.digital-scholarship.org/sepb/annual/annual.htm

Annual editions of the Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography are PDF files designed for printing. Each annual edition is based on the last HTML version published during the edition’s year. Minor corrections, such as updated URLs, have been made in the SEPB: 2006 Annual Edition.

The SEPB: 2006 Annual Edition is based on Version 66 (12/18/2006). The printed bibliography is over 230 pages long. The PDF file is over 930 KB.

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Archaeologists erect new walled garden on web

Posted on 2007-03-13 by Tom Elliott

ArchaeoSeek bills itself as a new “Social Network for Archaeologists” with an exclusive membership policy:

This network is for real archaeologists, i.e. those engaged or interested in the study of archaeology. No creationists, or crackpots need apply. If you do try to join, be aware that you will be removed rather quickly.

It’s common — and very sensible — to establish criteria, and require account login or other identity mechanisms, for members who can author and post to web sites. One might observe that the language of this policy is pretty provocative, but what really surprised me was the discovery that ArchaeoSeek’s archives and web feeds require a login too. It really is a “members-only” site.

Continue reading →

Posted in General | 2 Comments

New Blog: Current Epigraphy

Posted on 2007-03-09 by Gabriel Bodard

Announcement of a new blog:
Current Epigraphy reports news and events in Greek and Latin epigraphy.

https://www.currentepigraphy.org

ISSN 1754-0909 (Online)

CE publishes workshop and conference announcements; notices of discoveries, publications and reviews; project reports; and descriptive links to digital epigraphic projects. We owe our inspiration partly to Gregg Schwendner, who single-handedly maintains the What’s New in Papyrology blog. Our goal is to provide a similar service to the epigraphic community, but to do so in a broadly collaborative way that invites contribution from a wide group of scholars and enthusiasts.

Editors:

  • Gabriel Bodard (King’s College London)
  • Tom Elliott (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
  • Francisca Feraudi-Gruénais (University of Heidelberg)
  • Julia Lougovaya (Columbia University, New York)
  • Charlotte Tupman (King’s College London)

Monitoring Current Epigraphy:

Readers may learn of updates to CE in two ways:

  1. Via XML web feeds. CE publishes web feeds in RSS 2.0, RSS 0.92 and Atom 0.3 formats, which can alert users of feed reader software to blog updates.
  2. Via the inscriptiones-l email list. The editors of CE regularly digest the most recent posts to CE and forward them, in an email, to the list.

Your News:

If you have news that you would like included in CE, you may do one of three things:

  1. Ask to become an author of the blog (any of the editors can arrange this for you).
  2. Post your news to inscriptiones-l, where it will be seen and probably digested.
  3. As a last resort, send your news directly to one of the authors of the blog.

Please feel free to forward this message to colleagues who may be interested, and to re-post it in other appropriate venues.

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CC Learn

Posted on 2007-03-09 by Gabriel Bodard

Seen in the Creative Commons blog today:

A new division of Creative Commons, provisionally called CC Learn, will focus on education, broadly defined — from kindergarten to graduate school, to lifelong learning. The mission of this new division will be to promote vigorous networks of Open Educational Resources: materials offered freely and openly for educators, students and self-learners to use, modify and re-use for teaching, learning and research. CC Learn is looking for an Executive Director.

What is interesting is not the possibility that someone reading this blog might be interested in applying for an executive director’s position, but that CC are creating a new division especially for educational materials. I have always assumed that teaching materials and other educational resources were the most obvious candidates fro CC licensing, so I am now moved to wonder: what particular requirements do educations have from Creative Commons or Open Source licenses?

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TEI Workshops @ Kalamazoo

Posted on 2007-03-02 by smahony

Copied from Humanist:

The Medieval Academy of America Committee on Electronic Resources is pleased to announce two TEI workshops to be held at the International Medieval Congress, Kalamazoo, MI, in May 2007. Both workshops will be on Thursday, May 10 (sessions 32 and 138; see
www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/sessions
 for complete conference schedule).

1) XML and the Text Encoding Initiative Workshop I: Introduction to TEI Encoding

This workshop offers an introduction to best practices for digital scholarship, taught by a medievalist, James C. Cummings, specifically for medievalists. Instruction includes introductory-level XML and structural encoding, as well as new TEI P5 standards and guidelines, markup concerns for medieval transcription, and a brief consideration of XML Editors. Assignments will be completed during the following clinic.

2) XML and the Text Encoding Initiative Workshop II: Advanced TEI Encoding and Customization

This workshop offers advanced instruction in advanced topics in TEI encoding and the customization of the TEI for an individual project’s needs, taught by a medievalist, James C. Cummings, specifically for medievalists. Instruction includes metadata for medieval manuscript description, advanced-level concepts of TEI P5 modularization, schema generation and customization for individual projects, and a brief survey of related technologies. Assignments will be completed during the following clinic.

Dr. Cummings works for the Oxford Text Archive, University of Oxford. He holds a PhD from the University of Leeds, and he has extensive experience leading TEI workshops.

Both workshops are limited to 14 participants, and registration is required.

The fee *per workshop* is $45/$60 (Medieval Academy members/nonmembers) for pre-registration, $55/$70 for walk-ins (pending available space).

Please send contact information and a check payable to Medieval Academy of America c/o

Dorothy Carr Porter
RCH
351/352 William T. Young Library
Univ. of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0456.

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APA to “use technology in new and exciting ways”

Posted on 2007-03-01 by Gabriel Bodard

First off, the APA are asking for generous donations toward an endowment of $4 million to build a new American Center for Classics Research and Teaching. The point of this centre, among other things, is to:

The aim of the Center is to make high quality information about the Classical World available in accessible formats to the largest possible audience by using technology in new and exciting ways. We will accelerate the transformation of our field from the “gatekeeper” of knowledge to the “gateway” to insight, offering all the rich and rewarding world of Classics.

So what are these “new and exciting ways” that technology is going to be used? The only objectives listed in this call for donations seem to be dissemination, and the creation of “sophisticated and accessible research tools”. We want to know more. The one-page case statement (I’ve not read the longer digests yet), talks about spending $1.5 million on preserving L’Année Philologique. Is that the only and the most worthy Classics resource out there? Where is this being discussed? (All genuine questions, by the way, not criticism. I just want to hear more about the exciting technologies.)

Posted in General | 2 Comments

Digital Humanities Summer Institute

Posted on 2007-02-28 by smahony

Digital Humanities Summer Institute: Additional Scholarship (University of Victoria)

Copied from the Digital Classicist mailing list.

Announcing Additional Scholarships and an Extended Deadline (March 8th) for the 2007 Digital Humanities Summer Institute
University of Victoria

June 18-22, 2007

https://web.uvic.ca/hrd/institute/

We are pleased to announce that, due to the generosity of our sponsors, we are able to offer additional scholarships spots in our program. These will be awarded to faculty, staff, and students working in the digital humanities. We have extended the application deadline to March 8th, and the application form is available on line at:

https://web.uvic.ca/hrd/institute/apply_scholarship.php.

Limited travel funding for graduate students is available via bursaries sponsored by the Association for Computers and the Humanities. You may apply for the this bursary at the same time as for Institute scholarships, by indicating on the scholarship application form that you are a graduate student member of the ACH and would like to be considered for the ACH bursary.

This year, we are fortunate to be able to highlight several unique offerings, including the following:

* Susan Schreibman (U Maryland Libraries) is offering an advanced Text Encoding Consultation.

* Hugh Craig (U Newcastle, NSW) is leading a Master Class in Textual Analysis.

* Dot Porter (U Kentucky) will be leading a seminar on Edition Production tools.

* Lynne Siemens (U Victoria) will again be leading a consultation on Project Planning and Management, focusing on humanities research case studies.

* Stan Ruecker and Alan Galey (U Alberta) are leading an advanced consultation on Interface Design for Humanities Visualization

For more information, please visit the institute’s website at:
https://web.uvic.ca/hrd/institute/

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Job Openings at CHNM – Post-Doc, Digital History Associate, Summer Intern

Posted on 2007-02-27 by scaife

The Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George Mason University is hiring:

Post-Doc in History of Science & Technology and/or Digital History: This is a one-year position (with possible renewal) at the rank of Research Assistant Professor at the Center for History and New Media (CHNM), which is closely affiliated with the Department of History and Art History at George Mason University. A PhD or advanced ABD in History or a closely related field is required. We are especially interested in people with some or all of the following credentials, but they are not all required for the position: 1. experience in digital history or digital libraries; 2. strong technical background in new technology and new media; 3. administrative and organizational experience; 4. background in the history of science, technology, and industry, broadly defined; 5. background in post-1945 U.S. history. Please send letter of application, CV or resume, and three letters of recommendation (or dossier) to chnm@gmu.edu or Center for History and New Media, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive MS 1E7, Fairfax, VA 22030. Electronic submissions encouraged. Please use subject line “Digital Historian.” We will begin considering applications 15 March 2006.

Digital History Associate: The Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George Mason University is hiring two “Digital History Associates.” We are seeking energetic, well-organized people who take initiative and work well collaboratively. We are especially interested in people with some combination of research experience, administrative experience, and web development and programming experience. These exciting, grant-funded positions are particularly appropriate for someone with combined interest in history and technology, but the only specific requirements are a BA by June 1, 2007, and a demonstrated interest in both history and the web. Please apply for position #10384Z online at jobs.gmu.edu and attach both a resume and a cover letter. We will begin considering applications on 3/15/07 and continue until the positions are filled.

Summer Intern – Humanities Computing: The Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George Mason University is seeking creative, energetic, well-rounded, and well-organized college/high school students for 8-12 week paid summer internships in 2007 at a leading digital humanities center. Ability to work in a team is very important. Strong grades are essential. Preference will be given to those with working knowledge of one or more of the following: web- database development in PHP and MySQL; JavaScript, XML, CSS, and other technologies critical for Firefox development; and command-line Linux system administration. This is an especially good opportunity for someone with a combined interest in computing and history. Please send resume and cover letter with subject line: “humanities computing internship” to chnm@gmu.edu. We will begin considering applications on 2/15/07 and will continue until the position is filled.

About CHNM: Since 1994, the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University has used digital media and computer technology to change the ways that people—scholars, students, and the general public—learn about and use the past. We do that by bringing together the most exciting and innovative digital media with the latest and best historical scholarship. We believe that serious scholarship and cutting edge multimedia can be combined to promote an inclusive and democratic understanding of the past as well as a broad historical literacy that fosters deep understanding of the most complex issues about the past and present. CHNM’s work has been internationally recognized for cutting-edge work in history and new media. Located in Fairfax, Virginia, CHNM is 15 miles from Washington, DC, and is accessible by public transportation.

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Journal of Employability and The Humanities

Posted on 2007-02-27 by Gabriel Bodard

This call for papers was circulated by the HEA History, Classics, and Archaeology Subject Centre, but the journal, I believe, is being launched by the University of Central Lancashire. It strikes me that Humanities Computing departments that teach digital humanities skills are all doing innovative teaching and that our claim to improve “employability” (horrible as that word and even that concept is) is very strong.

The Centre For Employability through the Humanities (the CETL based at UCLAN) is putting together a peer reviewed electronic journal on employability and have asked us to pass on their call for papers (pdf). This Journal of Employability and the Humanities is for everyone in the Humanities. As a bi-annual, refereed journal produced in collaboration with the Centre for Employability Through the Humanities (ceth), at the University of Central Lancashire, its intention is to create space for a dialogue between Humanities and employability. THey want to hear your experiences of teaching, developing and researching employability and stress that prior knowledge of employability literature and models is not necessary. They do, however, also encourage contributions from the experienced practitioner or theorist.

You may have something to contribute if you have been:

  1. participating in the construction of Departmental or Faculty-wide programmes/workshops addressing Student Skills (particularly, but not necessarily, in the first year);
  2. working on improving students’ presentation skills within your module/across the degree programme at either BA or MA level;
  3. engaging students in assessment schemes which go beyond essay-writing (e.g. creative projects, web-design, theatrical performance);
  4. working with the careers service in your institution to improve graduate employability.

You may be engaging with employability issues other ways, but in any case this is a good opportunity to disseminate that engagement. This opportunity is open to members of staff and postgraduate students.

Posted in Call for papers, Publications, Teaching | Leave a comment

Classicists and Text-criticism Technology?

Posted on 2007-02-24 by Gabriel Bodard

I’ve just spotted this blog entry from back in October, but it raises questions worth addressing (questions of perception as well as practice…):

Last week, at the ITSEE launch, I –and several other people– had the opportunity to hear Michael Reeve. He delivered a talk called “Disembodying texts: inflammatory thoughts fuelled by the editing of Pliny’s Natural History,” during which he stated that classicists, unlike New Testament scholars and those in other fields, did not readily make use of computer technologies. An alarm went off in my mind, while images of Digital Classicist and Perseus flashed in front of my eyes. Is it possible –I thought– that I have just imagined these things?

Fortunately, a quick look at the Digital Classicist Wiki makes evident that Classicists clearly are making use of electronic resources. Well, then I am not as out of touch as I thought. However, the fact that classicists might be using some electronic resources does not mean that these resources concentrate in textual scholarship. Indeed, a survey of the Projects found in the DC Wiki shows that of the 20 listed projects, only 5 appear to present edited texts (Curse Tablets from Roman Britain, Digital Nestle-Aland Prototype, Electronic Boethius, Oxyrhynchus Papyri Project and Vindolanda Tablets Online). The other 15 projects are databases, archives, concordances and other tools for the study of classical texts. But there is even more, Netither the Digital Nestle-Aland nor the Electronic Boethius really fit in the “Classical box.”

(Note that the correct link to the Digital Classicist wiki should now be https://wiki.digitalclassicist.org/)

Full entry at: https://www.textualscholarship.org/blog/?p=5

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The Danish National Research Foundation’s Centre for Black Sea Studies: Open Access Publications

Posted on 2007-02-22 by chuckjones

All the Centre’s products are published online. This includes any product from conference abstracts, to manuscripts, oral papers, and pdf files of the Centre’s printed publications.

Posted in General, Publications | Leave a comment