Digital Humanities Conference

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This is a scratchpad for ideas about a potential conference to take place in 2016 or later. None of the details have been fixed yet. Optimistically, this could be done in 2016, but it might take longer to come about.

We are already organising a conference about Wikimedia projects and science but there is just as much benefit to Wikimedia in working with Humanities academics.

Rationale

Who is this for?

People who feed text into a computer to learn things from it.

What are the intended outcomes?
  • Greater awareness of, and use of, Wikimedia platforms - such as Wikisource, Wiktionary, Wikipedia, the Wikimedia Research Portal - among researchers. This relates to both the process of research (e.g. checking and coding text) and to engagement and impact (getting the most value out of research already published).
  • Greater use of open-access humanities materials on the Wikimedia projects.
  • Sharing, creation, or improvement of tools that do interesting things with text.
  • Discussion of open access and free knowledge, and the benefits they offer to the humanities.

Potential venues/ partner organisations

Like the science conference, this can only realistically happen with the support of a partner organisation.

  • British Library (has a long-standing working relationship with Wikimedia UK; has previously hosted GLAM-WIKI conference)
  • Bodleian Libraries (have a Wikimedian In Residence; have a lecture theatre and a couple of meeting rooms)
  • Humanities Research Institute, University of Sheffield (has a small but very nice conference facility which has hosted a Wikimedia workshop)

Potential contributors

Note: these people have not necessarily been approached or confirmed. This is more like a "fantasy football" team of speakers.