Data Showcases: the Data Journal in a Multimodal World

   As an experiment, the Research Data Journal for the Humanities and Social Sciences (RDJ) has temporarily extended the usual format of the online journal with so-called ‘showcases’, separate web pages containing a quick introduction to a dataset, embedded multimedia, interactive components, and facilities to directly preview and explore the dataset described. The aim was to create a coherent hyper document with content communicated via different media (multimodality) and provide space for new forms of scientific publication such as executable papers (e.g. Jupyter notebooks). This paper discusses the objectives, technical implementations, and the need for innovation in data publishing considering the advanced possibilities of today's digital modes of communication. The data showcases experiment proved to be a useful starting point for an exploration of related developments within and outside the humanities and social sciences. It turns out that small-scale experiments are relatively easy to perform thanks to the easy availability of digital technology. However, real innovation in publishing affects organization and infrastructure and requires the joint effort of publishers, editors, data repositories, and authors. It implies a thorough update of the concept of publication and adaptation of the production process. This paper also pays attention to these obstacles to taking new paths

Past, present and future of historical information science

Der Bericht evaluiert Entwicklungen und Einflüsse von Forschungen im Bereich der empirisch orientierten Geschichtswissenschaft und deren rechnergestützten Methoden. Vorgestellt werden ein Forschungsparadigma und eine Forschungsinfrastruktur für die zukünftige historisch orientierte Informationswissenschaft. Die entscheidenden Anstöße dafür kommen eher von Außen, also nicht aus der scientific community der Assoziation for History and Computing (AHC). Die Gründe hierfür liegen darin, dass die AHC niemals klare Aussagen darüber gemacht hat, welches ihre Adressaten sind: Historiker, die sich für EDV interessieren, oder historisch orientierte Informationswissenschaftler. Das Ergebnis war, dass sich keine dieser Fraktionen angesprochen fühlte und kein Diskurs mit der 'traditionellen' Geschichtswissenschaft und der Informationswissenschaft zustande kam. Der Autor skizziert ein Forschungsprogramm, das diese Ambiguitäten vermeidet und die Ansätze in einer Forschungsinfrastruktur integriert. (ICAÜbers)'This report evaluates the impact of two decades of research within the framework of history and computing, and sets out a research paradigm and research infrastructure for future historical information science. It is good to see that there has been done a lot of historical information research in the past, much of it has been done, however, outside the field of history and computing, and not within a community like the Association for History and Computing. The reason is that the AHC never made a clear statement about what audience to address: historians with an interest in computing, or historical information scientists. As a result, both parties have not been accommodated, and communications with both 'traditional' history and 'information science' have not been established. A proper research program, based on new developments in information science, is proposed, along with an unambiguous scientific research infrastructure.' (author's abstract

Virtual historical landscapes

Using 3D computer graphics technology, we are able to create virtual reconstructions of (almost completely) disappeared landscapes. The applications of these virtual historic landscapes range from landscape archaeology, edutainment to landscape planning. Although computer graphics technology matured and photo-realistic representations are achieved, the creation of realistic virtual reconstructions remains problematic. For a realistic user experience, we need to know which cues influence the user perception. However, poor-defined visualization requirements for 3D virtual historic landscapes leave us with the question ‘How good is good enough?’ This article discusses the search for a decisive variable to let users perceive the virtual historic landscape, focusing on image quality and contents of the virtual historic landscape. The virtual reconstruction of Palace Honselaarsdijck, a 17th century real-estate of stadtholder Frederick Henry (1584-1647), and its surrounding landscape is used as a case study. Using old maps, image processing and GIS software the historic terrain model was generated. By application of a 3D historic object library, the virtual landscape was decorated with wind mills, houses, churches and so forth. Finally, the virtual historic landscape was completed with atmospheres, water and vegetation. The result is a full-decorated and rendered virtual historic landscape. From a preliminary user test, the researchers learned that the contents of the virtual historic landscape are more important than the image quality. Future work will focus on what the identifying landscape features for a realistic user experience are, and how to communicate uncertainty inside the virtual landscape. The expectation is  that the work contributes to the realization of virtual historic landscape on a large-scale to communicate landscape information to the broad public

Past, present and future of historical information science

This book evaluates the results of two decades of research in ‘history and computing’. In spite of the fact that a lot has been accomplished, the report indicates critical places for improvement. Many historians and other humanities scholars seem satisfied with standard office tools, which do not always suit their complex sources and research questions. While more and more archival sources have become available in digital form, there has not been enough attention to the development of computational methods to process and analyse them. As a result, the level of technical sophistication in many historical studies has remained rather low. The authors propose a new research agenda and provide requirements for an adequate research infrastructure for future historical information science