Registration is closed.
Keynote: Wouter Haverals
UnEditions: Sha(r)p(en)ing the Future of Digital Scholarly Editing
This presentation explores the intersection between traditional textual scholarship and cutting-edge digital technologies. We examine expectations for modern text editions in an era marked by rapid technological advancements and global phenomena like the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors have collectively accelerated the shift towards what can be called ‘UnEditions’—highly accessible, imperfect, yet flexible and ever-evolving texts that stand in contrast to the immutable, printed editions of the past. The focus will be on how major digitization projects, automatic text recognition, and tools like IIIF viewers are the driving forces behind this evolution. We will discuss two specific projects, one on handwritten sources and another on printed materials, that exemplify the transition to collaborative, dynamic digital formats. As we explore this shift, several questions arise: How do we balance accuracy with accessibility in digital editions? What role will Large Language Models play in the creation and improvement of these editions? How will the scholarly community navigate the trade-offs between textual quality and the convenience and serendipity offered by vast digital collections? This presentation will examine these questions through the lens of recent developments and ongoing projects, considering how technological advancements continue to redefine the landscape of textual scholarship.
Wouter Haverals is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Center for Digital Humanities and a Perkins Fellow at the Humanities Council at Princeton University. His research integrates computational methods with literary studies, covering topics such as rhythm and prosody in medieval and early modern contexts, computational stylometry, digital scholarly editing, and children’s literature. Currently, Wouter is working on a project using distant reading techniques on the Princeton Prosody Archive to analyze the canonization of literary authors and the influence of poetry manuals on prosodic and rhythmic concepts. He earned his Ph.D. in Literature and Linguistics from the University of Antwerp.
Target group
Bachelor (3rd year) and Master students, PhDs and postdocs, Professionals in the fields of textual scholarship, genetic criticism, library science, archiving practices.
Participants should have at least completed 2 full years of university education in a relevant field of study.
Campus
This summer school takes place at Stadscampus (Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp) of the University of Antwerp. This campus is located in the city centre.
Micro-credential and study credits (ECTS)
3 ECTS credits are awarded upon successful completion of the programme.
Optional: upgrade to 6 ECTS credits upon completion of an additional exercise after the summer school.
A certificate will be awarded at the end of the programme. All certificates of completion are issued as a micro-credential.