Author: Joan Murphy

Digital History Autumn School 2026, Germany [Bursaries Call closes Aug 2]

From Data Acquisition to Data Publication: Quality Control, Tool Assessment, and Methodological Challenges in Digital History

Digital History Autumn School 2026

From Data Acquisition to Data Publication: Quality Control, Tool Assessment, and Methodological Challenges in Digital History

28 September – 2 October 2026

Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe, Marburg & HERMES (Humanities Education in Research, Data, and Methods) Data Competence Center

Digital tools and AI-assisted methods are increasingly shaping historical research. From OCR and annotation to corpus analysis and the application of generative AI systems in analysis or dissemination, these technologies open up new possibilities for generating and augmenting historical knowledge. Even after a few decades of experience, the combination of hermeneutic and computational approaches is far from straightforward, and researchers are often confront-ed with new methodological and practical challenges such as (but not limited to):

·              Data acquisition: How can processes of datafication and data-collection lead to relia-ble and accurate data?

·              Data modeling: Which data model is best suited to a particular research question and dataset, and how can expressiveness and interoperability be optimally balanced?

·              Data analysis: Are the available tools sufficiently powerful for the chosen model, and do they perform as effectively on one’s own data as reported in the literature?

·              Evaluation: How can results obtained from a specific tool be critically assessed? What roles do data quality, uncertainty, and methodological transparency play in a given re-search context?

·              Data exchange and reproducibility: How can research results be published and shared in ways that foster reuse and conserve transparency? To what extent are digitally supported methods transferable and reproducible across different datasets, and un-der which conditions?

The Digital History Autumn School 2026, organized in the framework of the Joint Lab Cul-tural Data in a Digital World (Herder Institute, Marburg –https://www.herder-institut.de/de/start, in close collaboration with the data competence center  – Humanities Edu-cation in Research, Data, and Methods – HERMES – https://hermes-hub.de/ ), addresses these questions from both methodological and practical perspectives. Together with experts in Digi-tal Humanities and Digital History, participants will explore criteria for the selection, applica-tion, and evaluation of digital tools and methods and will have the opportunity to discuss them in the context of their own research projects.

Topics

·              Selection and critical assessment of digital tools

·              Data preparation and data quality practices

·              Evaluation methods in the Digital Humanities

·              Transparency and reproducibility of digital methods

·              Dealing with uncertainty, ambiguity, and incompleteness in historical data

·              Source criticism, provenance, and the documentation of data transformation processes

In addition to thematic workshops, the Autumn School will provide opportunities for ex-change both with the experts and among the participants. Planned activities include interactive formats such as peer-support sessions, including opportunities for participants to present and discuss their own research data, methods, and research questions as well as networking events.

Who Can Apply?

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The Autumn School is aimed at:

·              Advanced Master’s students

·              Doctoral researchers (PhD candidates)

·              Postdoctoral and other early-career researchers

from the fields of Digital Humanities, Computer Science, Cultural Heritage, Digital History and Information Science who work with historical and cultural data and wish to integrate dig-ital methods into their research and critically reflect on their use.

Practical Information

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Dates: 28 September (from 2p.m) – 2 October 2026 (until 2p.m..)

Location: Herder Institute, Marburg, and Philipps University Marburg

Working Language: English

The organizers will provide for single room accommodation at a regular hotel. Travel expenses can be reimbursed up to a maximum of EUR 250.

Application

Applicants are invited to submit:

·              A short letter of motivation (maximum one page)

·              A brief curriculum vitae (CV)

·              Optionally, a short description of a project or dataset they would like to discuss during the Autumn School

Application deadline: 2 August 2026

Notification of acceptance: by 21 August 2026

We welcome applications from individuals with diverse disciplinary backgrounds and particu-larly encourage those who have so far only made limited use of digital methods to apply.

Please submit your application as a single PDF file to: herbstakademie@herder-institut.de

For further Information please contact Dr. Cristina Vertan  at : herbstakademie@herder-institut.de

Taxonomy of Digital Research Activities in the Humanities (TaDiRAH ) [Call for Participation]

Taxonomy of Digital Research Activities in the Humanities (TaDiRAH )

The Taxonomy of Digital Research Activities in the Humanities (TaDiRAH ) has by now developed a long and vibrant history. Over the years, it has grown through a wide range of collaborations, driven by international and interdisciplinary exchange as well as the commitment of numerous contributors from the digital humanities community.

At present, a new phase is beginning that envisions the collaborative further development of TaDiRAH. Core content and initial language versions are already in place; now we would like to involve the community more closely, bring together existing expertise, and jointly shape the next steps. One key objective is to further develop TaDiRAH sustainably, strengthen its international interoperability, and establish it firmly for the long term.

We invite everyone interested to actively contribute — whether through feedback, content contributions, discussions, or participation in linguistic extensions — as we explicitly view the further development of TaDiRAH as a collaborative process.

For existing language versions, we are looking for active contact persons who can serve as points of contact and support maintenance, coordination, and further development. At the same time, we would also like to specifically ask who might be interested in contributing to additional translations and linguistic extensions.

The technical and conceptual development is carried out transparently via GitHub (https://github.com/dhtaxonomy/TaDiRAH).

Changes are documented, discussed, and versioned there. Participation is also possible for people without extensive technical expertise; supporting materials and introductory resources are available (https://zenodo.org/records/20762024).

Contributions are possible on different levels:
– Editorial and conceptual contributions
– Translations and linguistic adaptations
– Discussion of terminology, structures, and use cases
– Technical support and review
– Networking and increasing visibility within the community.

Please do not hesitate to contact us: tadirah-request@listserv.dfn.de.

As next steps, additional language versions are planned, particularly Polish (PL) and Turkish (TR). Interested contributors are warmly invited to get involved.
Interested individuals are also warmly invited to subscribe to the mailing list: https://www.listserv.dfn.de/sympa/info/tadirah.

At present, there are two Germany-based data competence centers with a concrete interest in the further development of TaDiRAH and in sustainably advancing related efforts. HERMES (https://hermes-hub.de) and SODa (https://sammlungen.io/), represented by IGSD e.V. (https://igsd-ev.de), are currently supporting TaDiRAH by increasing its visibility and fostering exchange between projects and communities. At the same time, involving and activating the community also serves to identify potential pathways for the long-term sustainability of the project activities. They contribute to visibility, promote exchange between projects and communities, and support the sustainable institutionalization of these activities.

We are delighted to be taking part in this year’s EADH 2026 in Kraków and warmly invite everyone to attend our session. The programme will be available here shortly: https://eadh2026.confer.uj.edu.pl/programme.

Survey on research (meta)data quality [EOSC-EDEN]

Survey on research (meta)data quality [EOSC-EDEN]

Have you encountered any issues when it comes to sharing, finding, accessing, and working with research data? If you are: 

  • a researcher who works with data on a daily basis, 
  • a professional who manages or curates research data 
  • a professional who works with the technical infrastructure required for managing or curating research data,

then your perspective on the future of FAIR long-term data preservation is invaluable. 

We invite you to fill out a survey that investigates how research communities work with research data, and how data archives and repositories work with the different aspects that contribute to the quality of research (meta)data

The Horizon Europe-funded EOSC EDEN project investigates and develops strategies for curation and long-term preservation of research data. One important aspect of the project is to collect insights from researchers and preservation professionals, with the aim of turning identified challenges into actionable improvements. Your professional insights will support our work on:

  • Improving and standardising curation and preservation practices
  • Developing the services and tools needed to enhance digital preservation strategies
  • Enabling the reusability of research data
  • Bridging knowledge across disciplines
  • Equipping researchers with the knowledge to answer central research questions

Whether you work at a repository or in research, in a large organisation or a small team, and whatever your discipline or career stage, we would like to hear from you. Multiple responses from the same organisation are welcome, and we encourage you to share information about the survey with your professional networks. 

Filling out the survey should take between 20-30 minutes to complete, and we will keep it open until Monday, 31st August, 2026. 

You can find the survey here: https://nettskjema.no/a/eosc-eden-survey-2026.

For any questions about the survey or the work of EOSC EDEN, please contact Helene N. Andreassen (Project Task Lead) at helene.n.andreassen@uit.no.

Thank you for sharing your experience — your contribution is greatly valued!

GenAI in Irish Libraries and Information Organisations [Survey, closes July 14th]

GenAI in Irish Libraries and Information Organisations: Readiness, Attitudes & Impact Survey

You are invited to participate in the research survey, “GenAI in Irish Libraries and Information Organisations: Readiness, Attitudes & Impact.” 

This study examines how library and information professionals in Ireland engage with Generative AI technologies, focusing on awareness, preparedness, attitudes, and current practices.

Participation is voluntary and anonymous. Responses will be used for research purposes only and reported in aggregated form. The study has received ethical approval from the UCD Human Research Ethics Committee – Humanities (Ref: 022-HS-26-LR-Havelka) and is a collaboration between UCD’s iSchool and the Western Regional Section of the Library Association of Ireland.

Your insights will help inform future research, training, and professional development related to GenAI in the Irish library and information sector. We encourage you to participate and share your response.

https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/ireland

UK-IE DHA Advocacy & Engagement Fellowship 2026-27 [Deadline Aug 17th]

The UK-Ireland Digital Humanities Association is pleased to invite applications for a funded Advocacy & Engagement Fellowship for 2026-27!

This year’s fellowship theme is Openness and Transparency. The successful fellow will contribute to the development of the Association’s advocacy work by undertaking research and community engagement activities that explore how Digital Humanities can foster greater openness, collaboration and transparency across the UK and Ireland.

We are particularly interested in projects that explore the following themes:

  • Support for cross-sector collaboration with non-HE organisations and communities.
  • Strengthen advocacy for Digital Humanities with funders, national bodies and institutions.

Potential projects could focus on (but aren’t limited to):

  • Developing best practice guidance, collaborative tools or training to support cross-sector partnerships.
  • Projects to improve research culture, e.g. contextualising the different practices between Ireland and the UK (REF, UKRI, Research Ireland, Impact 2030, etc.)
  • Improving public and open access to digital scholarship across Ireland and the UK, highlighting existing barriers.
  • Developing a value proposition for Digital Humanities for researchers to utilize in policy or funding contexts to demonstrate the significance of their work.

The fellowship is open to researchers, digital practitioners, technical professionals, and GLAM colleagues. We particularly encourage applications from individuals traditionally underrepresented in Digital Humanities. Joint applications are welcome.

Fellowship details

  • Duration: 12 months (from October 2026)
  • Commitment: Approximately 10 hours per month
  • Fellowship award: £4,000
  • Additional project support fund: £1,000
  • Open to applicants residing in the UK or Ireland.

Key dates

  • Application deadline: Monday 17 August 2026, 23:59 BST
  • Shortlisted candidates notified: Week commencing 31 August 2026
  • Interviews: Week commencing 7 September 2026
  • Fellowship start date: October 2026

Applications should include:

  • Application form
  • CV (maximum 2 pages)
  • Proposal (maximum 1,000 words)
  • Implementation plan (maximum 500 words)
  • Letter of support (if applicable)
  • Equality and diversity form (optional)

All application materials should be submitted as a PDF to uk-ie.digitalhumanities@sas.ac.uk.

For full details, including eligibility, selection criteria and application requirements, please see the full call: https://digitalhumanities-uk-ie.org/2026/07/06/2026-advocacy-engagement-fellowship/

We would be grateful if you could share this opportunity with colleagues and networks who may be interested.