Nockels, J., Gooding, P. and Terras, M. (2024) Are Digital Humanities platforms facilitating sufficient diversity in research? A study of the Transkribus Scholarship Programme. Digital Scholarship in the Humanities, (doi: 10.1093/llc/fqae018) (Early Online Publication)
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Abstract
To what extent do Digital Humanities (DH) platforms support access to diverse user cohorts? We take, as a case study, the Automated Text Recognition (ATR) platform Transkribus and its Transkribus Scholarship Programme (TSP), which provides free processing credits to eligible users. Using a mixed methods approach we address the following questions: What are the demographics of those using the TSP scheme? What work is enabled by such a scheme? How can this inform more equitable access to DH platforms? The findings demonstrate how ATR tools are currently used and made accessible. TSP applicants are overwhelmingly students (n = 111/156, 71.15 per cent) drawn from universities and research institutes, mostly in Europe, but are globally distributed; representing institutions that do not hold shares in Transkribus, and indicating a diverse user pipeline. Further work is required to increase potential benefits of the scholarship and to ensure sustainability. Increased dialogue between the Recognition and Enrichment of Archival Document-COOP and applicants would assist in the calculation of processing costs. We show financial—or in-kind—support is necessary to increase access to paid-for platforms, ensuring a diversity of DH research. We also provide recommendations for platform providers and funding bodies regarding access and the impact this can have, including locating a sustainable balance between absorbing the costs of maintaining DH or digital scholarship tools and providing sufficient support and training to further enable diverse research.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Melissa Terras serves on the Board of Directors of Transkribus as Research Director. Joe Nockels’ doctoral research on Transkribus is funded by the Scottish Graduate School in the Arts and Humanities, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AH/R012717/1), in partnership with Transkribus and the National Library of Scotland. |
| Status: | Early Online Publication |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Gooding, Professor Paul |
| Creator Roles: | |
| Authors: | Nockels, J., Gooding, P., and Terras, M. |
| Subjects: | Z Bibliography. Library Science. Information Resources > Z665 Library Science. Information Science |
| College/School: | College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Information Studies |
| Journal Name: | Digital Scholarship in the Humanities |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
| ISSN: | 2055-7671 |
| ISSN (Online): | 2055-768X |
| Published Online: | 16 April 2024 |
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