Abstract
Recently, multiple collaborative initiatives have been established which all aim to incorporate and enhance the representation of multilingualism into discussions on the otherwise largely English-dominated “field” of digital humanities. Taking sensitivity to multilingualism as an overarching concept, the present paper introduces and analyzes some recent, and ongoing, collaborative initiatives (mainly with a starting point in Europe) to show how these projects conceptualize, handle, and strive to strengthen language diversity in DH. More specifically, the examples featured in the article include preliminary insights from the Disrupting Digital Knowledge Infrastructures collective, lessons from my pilot graduate course (Digital Humanities and East Asian Studies: Theory and Practice), as well as the role and significance of the DARIAH-EU supported OpenMethods platform. Ultimately, the paper, which also features interviews with Erzsébet Tóth-Czifra and Cosima Wagner from two of the abovementioned initiatives, argues for the importance of language sensitivity in research, teaching, and knowledge dissemination to create a more inclusive, and collaborative, basis toward multilingualism in DH.
Highlights
Multiple collaborative initiatives have been established which all aim to incorporate and enhance the representation of multilingualism into discussions on the otherwise largely English-dominated “field” of digital humanities
Through the examination of various projects that intend to draw the scholarly community’s attention to the challenges, processes, and methods of conducting digitally enhanced research, this paper aims to contribute to the existing scholarship that focuses on strengthening inclusivity in DH that is more sensitive to multilingualism
Speaking about the realities of what it means to foster a multilingual DH environment, Tóth-Czifra pointed out: Multilingualism is a key value in digital humanities, but it constitutes a great challenge
Summary
Wagner shares my view on the importance of collaboration in this regard, enhanced by a sensitive attitude towards true and effective multilingualism in DH This could take multiple forms, for example among multilingual DH practitioners in cooperation with librarians and relevant software developers, or even “between academic librarians with a special focus on DH infrastructure support and management.” Here, akin to the aims of the OpenMethods platform, the idea and importance of effective communication about the methods and processes leading to the execution of relevant projects cannot be stressed enough as a means to enhance the visibility of the mechanisms of multilingual DH research practices and to create an environment that is more sensitive to the needs and realities of DH projects beyond the Anglophone sphere. Realistic because it does not hide the challenges and limitations of such inquiries, and empowering because such approaches provide a promising channel for knowledge dissemination and for critical experimentation at the intersection of inclusivity, collaboration, sensitivity, visibility, and multilingualism—and this is what all the projects introduced in this paper are about
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