https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/L_AAMPALG017This course provides students with a comprehensive foundation in digital humanities while focusing on research excellence and societal relevance. Students will: -Understand and articulate the key issues and debates in digital humanities, especially concerning cultural heritage, digital methods, and the reliability of digital research -Gain a comprehensive understanding of digital tools and their application in humanities research -Develop the ability to critically analyze digital data and tools in the context of humanities research -Enhance research skills by employing digital methods to collect, analyze, and interpret data -Address societal issues by integrating digital humanities tools to propose innovative solutions -Improve the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively to both academic and non-academic audiences -Collaborate effectively in interdisciplinary teams to conduct digital humanities research -Demonstrate an ability to manage digital projects and create a digital humanities workflow, from data acquisition to dissemination of resultsDigital Humanities (DH) is a relatively new field of study and research that applies computational methods to (digital) humanities sources to answer humanities questions. It provides humanities scholars with a more elaborate constellation of methods and theories than traditional humanities scholarship to navigate the complexity of digital sources. DH encompasses all fields within the humanities and so DH scholars can for example be historians, linguists, philosophers, or anthropologists. This course is designed to equip students with advanced knowledge and research skills in DH, providing them with a thorough understanding of how digital tools and methodologies can be applied to humanities research. As the course focuses on addressing societal challenges through the lens of digital humanities, it encourages students to develop innovative solutions and contribute to scholarly and public discourse. Students therefore explore how the digital transformation affects different areas while engaging with various societal issues such as: -Cultural preservation and digital archives -Impact of social media on public opinion and democracy -Ethical considerations in the use of digital data in humanities research Students work in small groups; through practical and critical exercises they develop a DH project that aims to find a computational solution to a humanities research question. In this way, they develop understanding of the value of collaboration in a DH research setting whilst becoming acquainted with DH professional practices where collaboration is the norm. They also learn how to become effective communicators in a highly diverse context. Projects will culminate in a presentation and a written report.The course combines theoretical lectures and interactive seminars discussing foundational concepts and advanced topics in digital humanities. Students can discuss readings, share research ideas, and receive feedback from peers and instructors. The course includes advanced workshops on tools and software pertinent to digital humanities research, such as text analysis tools, digital mapping, and data visualization software. There may be additional sessions led by experts from academia and industry to provide insights into real-world applications of digital humanities.1) Participation and Engagement: Contributions to seminars and discussions. 2) Project Presentation: Evaluation based on the creativity and analytical depth of the group projects. 3) Research Paper: A final research paper that demonstrates the ability to apply digital tools to a humanities research question.This course is for students of the Research Master Humanities (all tracks).