Annotation in Scholarly Editions and Research: Function, Differentiation, Systematization (Wuppertal, 20.-22.02.2019)

Julia Nantke Discussion
Type: 
Call for Papers
Location: 
Germany
Subject Fields: 
Archival Science, Digital Humanities, Historic Preservation, Humanities, Library and Information Science

The notion of annotation unites different concepts that vary in coverage, application and direction but have conceptual parallels as well. In the Humanities, annotations refer to additional contextualization and explanation of a text added by the author, a further scribe, or an editor. Therefore, annotations are equally objects and tools of research. From the perspective of Information Technology, annotations can already refer to the application of processable markup to data sets. Furthermore, the notion can refer to structured keyword indexing or metadata description, e.g. by means of standardized technologies of the Semantic Web. Thus, annotations contain additional information here as well but do not necessarily aim at a human reader but at an automated processing system. The latest activities of the Web Annotation Working Group of the W3C aimed to consolidate the classic concept of human-targeted annotations with a technical model.

The progressively established use of digital methods in Humanities-related editions and research change the annotation practices. Simultaneously concepts, guidelines and tools for semantic annotation are developed in different projects that target at supporting the analysis and interpretation of Humanities-related corpora. These developments draw the attention to the diversity of perspectives and objectives that are related to the concept of annotation. Furthermore—comparing the different current practices of annotation—questions arise concerning the concept’s respective range as well as potential redirections in the light of recent changes in scientific practices.

These trends give reason to reflect different annotation practices and their associated concepts as well as to relate these practices to each other and to categorize commonalities and divergences.

We welcome contributions addressing but not limited to the following questions and topics:

  • Is it possible to systematically distinguish different forms of annotations (markup, inferring, or interpreting annotations etc.)? How to put commonalities und divergences into perspective?

  • What influence do fundamental methodical imprints of both the associated disciplines and, respectively, the existing divergences amongst them have on concepts of annotation structures?

  • How do annotation guidelines and practices position themselves between the priorities of object relatedness, methodological and technical perspectives?

  • Does (and if so, to which extent) the current tendency to (technically) reorganize and extend the concept of annotation influence the scholarly discourse in the Humanities?

  • Which unsatisfied demands in the Humanities require improvements of formal and technological annotation concepts and practices? How can they be addressed?

The conference will be held from 20 to 22 Feb 2019 at the University of Wuppertal. A publication of the conference’s results is intended.

Keynotes will be given by Prof. em. Willard McCarty and Dr. Georg Rehm.

We invite members of the Humanities and Information Technologies to send an English or German abstract (up to 500 words), proposing a 30 minute presentation and joined by a short biographical note, due 5 Nov 2018 to Julia Nantke (nantke{at}uni-wuppertal.de) or Frederik Schlupkothen (schlupko{at}uni-wuppertal.de).

Proposals addressing experiences from ongoing projects investigating and/or using annotations, developing e.g. annotation guidelines or software frameworks as well as reflections on methodological and/or technical perspectives are equally welcome.

Contact Info: 

Dr. Julia Nantke

Bergische Universität Wuppertal

Gaußstraße 20

42119 Wuppertal

Contact Email: