Software and tools
Preliminary remark
As long-lasting as data sets stored in standard formats (xml, csv, txt, etc.) may be, websites and other software products are potentially short-lived. This refers, for example, to programs that were often developed specifically for a project and then not “maintained” further, i.e., adapted to the rapidly changing software landscape.
There is no simple solution to this problem, but a first step is to assess
(a) whether the function that is needed (map or network visualization, etc.) can also be achieved with existing software solutions, thus eliminating the need to commission new programming. In addition to the overview provided here on the topics of text recognition, editing, audio transkription, and literature management, as well as the sections on network analysis and topic modelling, the following can be used for orientation: the list of software licensed by the ZID for students and employees at the university; as well as overviews for specific areas, such as text-related applications (2021).
(b) whether, in the case of less complex use cases, it might not be appropriate to try your hand at creating simple scripts and thus familiarizing yourself with the relevant tools and methods.
(c) If a new software solution does need to be commissioned, whether it would be possible to inform the company in question about similar, existing (possibly standardized and institutionally supported) solutions and to contractually agree on their consideration or, in the case of open source, their reuse when commissioning the solution. – We have experience with companies specializing in DH issues, which we are happy to share on request.
Many software applications do not work immediately in the desired manner, and in any case, a reasonable amount of time should be allowed for (supervised) testing, including of several products.
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“Methods” and “Tools”
Experience shows that one of the main sources of misunderstanding between digital and non-digital humanities lies in the different meanings of the term “method”: what is a conceptual architecture grounded in specific disciplinary traditions in one field is a set of algorithmic calculation procedures in the other, the reflection on which will have to be integrated much more strongly than before into the research discourse in the humanities.
The “tools and methods” that play a central role in the DH master's programme, for example, refer on the one hand to algorithmic ‘methods’ in the latter sense, and on the other hand to the scripting and programming languages with which these “methods” are mostly used in data science today; in the early 2020s, these are primarily Python and R.
This context also explains the frequently used plural syntax “tools & methods,” according to which a particular method—such as topic modeling—can be performed with different tools, and vice versa.
A platform that is also widely used in DH teaching for low-threshold learning of “tools and methods” is The Programming Historian; commercial programming teaching platforms such as Data Camp are also frequently used in DH teaching.
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OCR and HTR
Transkribus has established itself in Austria since the late 2010s as the preferred platform for all types of text recognition—both for its original unique selling point, HTR (handwritten text recognition), and now also for OCR (optical character recognition) of printed texts. The University of Vienna offers its employees both Transkribus credits and corresponding consulting and support (transkribus.ub@univie.ac.at).
In addition to Transkribus, there are also other solutions for automated text recognition, such as eScriptorium.
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Digital editing
TEI-XML is the most widely used “standard” for data modeling in digital editions (though not the only one, as can be seen in the White Paper on Digital Editions). The most commonly used tool for working with TEI-XML is currently oXygen (and Ediarum, which is based on it). Web browser displays can be configured or set up using TEI Publisher or EVT, for example. The official website offers a good introduction to learning how to use TEI.
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Literature management
Geschichte Online provides an overview of the most common literature management programs (available in German only).
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