Category: Scholars 学者

[中文版]

1. How do you define Digital Humanities?

Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary field that studies the integration of computational methods and software engineering processes in the arts and humanities research and education as well as in the cultural heritage sector and creative practices. Increasingly, it addresses wider issues around the design and use of digital technologies and their impact on digital cultures and societies. 

 2. How did you become interested in DH?

As a teenager, I enjoyed scientific disciplines – math in particular – but was also fascinated by ancient cultures and societies. I was lucky in high school to be part of an experimental programme that combined classics with STEM disciplines including computer sciences. I went on to get a degree in communications studies with a specialization in technologies to then follow up with a PhD that combined manuscript studies with software-intensive research. This is when I found out that an active international humanities computing community existed; I enrolled in an MA at KCL on those topics in parallel with my PhD and became active in Digital Humanities projects and networks.

 3. Tell us about one of your DH projects?

I have been involved in many projects over the years, but one I would like to highlight relates to my research on one of the methodologies of cross and inter-disciplinary collaboration which I believe is foundational in DH, namely (data) modelling. This activity has been analysed mainly from a STEM perspective but it is the research in DH that makes emerge the epistemological value of modelling: by modelling objects and phenomena into data structures we know things differently. A collaborative project which resulted in a book (Modelling between Digital and Humanities: Thinking in Practice) reflected on the topic by making emerge the importance of language in modelling as well as its pragmatic dimension (modelling is creative and contingent). I hope the book demonstrated how humanities disciplines can give an important contribution to the conceptualisation of modelling specifically and more in general to how we shape our conceptual and physical world with the design and use of digital technologies.

 4. And a DH project you particularly like?

This is a project I have bene involved in only tangentially to support its funding and delivery. It is called Digital Ghost Hunt. Led by KDL Senior RSE, Elliott Hall, it was a very inventive collaboration with theatre and performance professionals, schools and pupils, cultural heritage institutions and the public. By integrating digital technologies into well designed experiences, it showcases the imaginative power of collaboration across sectors and generations and the value of thinking creatively and of tinkering with digital technologies.

介绍Arianna Ciula博士

1. 你如何定义数字人文？

数字人文是一个跨学科领域，探讨如何整合计算方法和软件工程过程于艺术、人文学科研究、教育、文化遗产部门以及创意实践中。随着技术的进步，数字人文越来越多地涉及数字技术的设计、应用，以及它们对数字文化和社会的广泛影响等诸多问题。

2. 你是如何对数字人文产生兴趣的？

在青少年时期，我对科学学科，特别是数学，有浓厚的兴趣，同时也对古代文化和社会非常着迷。在高中时，我有幸参加了一个实验项目，将古典学与包括计算机科学在内的STEM学科结合起来。随后我获得了传播学学位，专注于技术领域，并继续攻读将手稿研究与软件密集型研究相结合的博士学位。正是在这个阶段，我发现了一个充满活力的国际人文学科计算社区。我在攻读博士学位的同时，申请并参加了伦敦国王学院的数字人文硕士课程，并积极参与数字人文项目和网络。

3. 介绍一个你的数字人文项目？

多年来，我参与了许多项目，但我想特别强调一个与我研究的跨学科和跨领域合作方法相关的项目，即数据建模。在数字人文中，数据建模被视为基础性工作。这项活动主要从STEM的角度进行分析，但是数字人文的研究揭示了建模的认知论价值：通过将对象和现象建模为数据结构，我们能够以不同的方式理解事物。我们的合作项目最终出版了一本书《数字与人文学科之间的建模：实践中的思考》，这本书通过强调语言在建模中的重要性以及建模的实际维度（建模是创造性和偶发的过程），深刻反映了这个主题。我希望这本书能展示人文学科在概念建模方面的贡献，特别是在如何通过设计和应用数字技术来塑造我们的概念和物理世界。

4. 你特别喜欢的一个数字人文项目是什么？

这是一个我在资金支持和交付方面略有参与的项目，名为「数字猎鬼」。由KDL高级RSE Elliott Hall领导，这个项目展示了极具创意的合作，涉及戏剧和表演专业人士、学校和学生、文化遗产机构以及公众。通过精心设计的体验融入数字技术，它展示了跨部门和跨代合作的想象力，以及数字技术实验的创造性思维和价值。

[中文版]

1. How do you define Digital Humanities? 

For me, Digital Humanities are a methodological laboratory for the humanities, where researchers can experiment with new computational and quantitative methods to answer old and new questions in the humanities.


2. How did you become interested in DH? 

I became interested in DH during my PhD in computational linguistics, when I worked on adapting techniques from computational linguistics to the study of the Latin language. I gradually realised the potential of using these methods beyond linguistics research, which has given the opportunity to work in many interdisciplinary projects.


3. Tell us about one of your DH projects? 

One of my favourite projects took place in 2018-2019 and was funded by a small grant by The Alan Turing Institute (described here). I put together a team involving two statisticians, a digital humanist, and a classicist to study the change in meaning of words in ancient Greek using Bayesian statistics. It was the first time I led such a diverse team to study an old phenomenon with new methods.


4. Tell us about a DH project you particularly like? 

I have worked on historical newspapers and I particularly like the Impresso project, which has digitized and enriched a vast collection of European historical newspapers, enabling researchers and the public to explore rich archives through advanced text mining and analysis tools. I like it because it democratizes access to valuable historical materials, fostering new ways of doing historical research.

介绍Barbara McGillivray博士

1. 你如何定义数字人文学？

对我来说，数字人文学是人文学科的方法实验室，研究人员可以在这里通过新的计算和定量方法来探索回答人文学科中的旧问题和新问题。

2. 你是如何对数字人文学产生兴趣的？

在攻读计算语言学博士学位期间，我对数字人文学产生了兴趣，当时我致力于将计算语言学的技术应用于拉丁语的研究。我逐渐意识到这些方法在语言学研究之外的潜力，这让我有机会参与许多跨学科的项目。

3. 请告诉我们一个你的数字人文学项目？

我最喜欢的项目之一是在2018-2019年进行的，并由艾伦·图灵研究所的小额资助（详见此处）资助。我组建了一个团队，包括两名统计学家、一名数字人文学者和一名古典学家，使用贝叶斯统计方法研究古希腊语中词义的变化。这是我第一次领导这样一个多样化的团队，用新方法研究一个古老的现象。

4. 你特别喜欢的一个数字人文学项目是什么？

我曾研究过历史报纸，特别喜欢Impresso项目，该项目数字化并丰富了大量欧洲历史报纸，使研究人员和公众能够通过先进的文本挖掘和分析工具探索丰富的档案。我喜欢这个项目，因为它使宝贵的历史资料变得更加普及，促进了历史研究的新方法。