Digital Humanities at Yale: Resources and Initiatives

Ayesha Ramachandran and Christophe Schuwey discuss Digital Humanities (DH), defining it as the use of computers to study and discuss the humanities. They share their origin stories, highlighting how digital tools have transformed their research, from using Google Books to track word appearances to image analysis. They explore examples of DH work, including digital editions, text mining, spatial analysis, and image analysis, emphasizing the importance of data literacy and critical self-reflection. They also discuss resources available at Yale, such as the DH Lab and the DHI-Yale initiative, which aim to support and build a community around DH. They emphasize the importance of conceptual work and collaboration in DH, as well as the need for humanists to engage with the technical aspects of DH to effectively collaborate with experts.