Digital Resources for Humanities: Integration and Development
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The project “Digital Resources for Humanities: Integration and Development” is implemented within the framework of the National Research Programme "Digital Resources of the Humanities"
Funded by: Latvian Council of Science of the Ministry of Education and Science
Project partners: Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia, Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Latvia, University of Latvia (UL Livonian Institute and Latvian Language Institute of the University of Latvia), Rēzekne Academy of Technologies, Liepaja University, Latvian Academy of Culture, Riga Technical University, National Library of Latvia.
Project leader: Sanita Bērziņa-Reinsone
Projectcoordinator (LAC): Dr. sc. soc. Ilona Kunda
Project research group (project participants from a partner institution): Ance Kristāla, Agnese Karlsone
The DRH-ID project aims to provide a balanced and diverse programme in order to (1) provide support for the development of the existing digital resources and tools intended for humanities avoiding uneven development and enhancing their usage in research and education; (2) prevent fragmentation and unnecessary duplication by establishing of productive alliances between institutions that aggregate similar data; (3) ensure wider visibility and public access and provide a solution facilitating interdisciplinary crosswalks among the developed resources for humanities; (4) analyze use and users of digital resources in order to understand the effectiveness of digital resources and ways how to improve their usability for different target groups; (5) advance digital humanities (DH) research and education in Latvia and (6) provide guidance for developers of digital resources and tools for humanities, policymakers, researchers, and other target groups. In order to achieve these aims, the project brings together leading research, higher education, and cultural institutions that develop digital resources and tools for humanities research and carry out DH educational programmes and research in Latvia. During 24 months, five interinstitutional working groups will carry out a targeted and balanced agenda that will considerably promote the development and usage of humanities’ digital resources and tools and will provide a remarkable impact on the development of digital humanities in Latvia.
The researcher group from the Latvian Academy of Culture, in collaboration with the Latvia University Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art, is carrying out a study of digital humanities (DH) resource users’ needs. The study comprises a scholarly literature review, interviews with experts of the DH field, a survey of DH resource developers, the testing of usability of DH resources (by the “Think Aloud” method), a survey of practices of the partner institutions’ DH resource users, as well of analysis of Google Analytics data. The goal of the study is to obtain in-depth understanding of the practices and needs of users of the partner institutions’ DH resources, to test resource usability research methodology, and develop recommendations for sustainability of DH resources.
