The document provides an introduction to digital humanities and discusses several key topics: 1. It defines digital humanities as the application of computational methods to humanities research or cultural heritage, or applying humanities research methods to digital phenomena. 2. It explores the origins and precursors of digital humanities, including its roots in the history of science and technology, early applications of computing to the humanities, and information utopias. 3. It describes the emergence of digital humanities as a field in the early 2000s, including the publication of the first companion to digital humanities in 2001 and the formation of alliance organizations. 4. It provides a typology of digital humanities activities,

1. Introduction aux
humanités numériques /
Digital Humanities
Forum des archivistes, Genève, 2 avril 2012
Enrico Natale
infoclio.ch
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2. Plan de la présentation:
3. Définitions
4. Origines et précurseurs
5. Apparition des « Digital Humanities »
6. Typologie des projets en DH
7. Modes d’institutionnalisation des DH
8. Développements récents en Suisse
9.Sociologie des Humanités Numériques
10. Bibliographie
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3. I. How do you define Digital Humanities ?
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4. I. How do you define Digital Humanities ?
„If you think you are doing it, then you probably
are, but the UCLDH definition is: the
application of computational methods to
humanities research or to cultural heritage; or
of humanities research methods to digital
phenomena.“
—Claire Warwick
Source:http://dayofdh2012.artsrn.ualberta.ca/dh/ info@infoclio.ch
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5. I. How do you define Digital Humanities ?
I think of digital humanities as an umbrella term that
covers a wide variety of digital work in the humanities:
development of multimedia pedagogies and
scholarship, designing & building tools, human
computer interaction, designing & building archives
[collections], etc. DH is interdisciplinary; by
necessity it breaks down boundaries between
disciplines at the local (e.g., English and history) and
global (e.g., humanities and computer sciences) levels.
—Kathie Gossett
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6. I. How do you define Digital Humanities ?
I guess I define DH twofold : Using technology
to do Humanities research and doing
Humanities research about technology. Plus a
commitment to the openness of knowledge.
Plus a commitment to build new scholarly
objects.
— My Definition (in poor English)
Source:http://dayofdh2012.artsrn.ualberta.ca/dh/ info@infoclio.ch
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7. I. How do you define Digital Humanities ?
The great opportunity to burn down academic walls
— Enrica Salvatori
DH is what critical theory is or was--an opportunity
to ask new questions, try new methods, engage in
new conversations.
— ssenier
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8. I. How do you define Digital Humanities ?
Manifeste des Digital
Humanities, THATCamp Paris,
2010
Art. 1 - Le tournant numérique
pris par la société modifie et
interroge les conditions de
production et de diffusion des
savoirs.
Source: http://tcp.hypotheses.org/443 info@infoclio.ch
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9. II. Origines et précurseurs des DH
Une histoire qui reste à écrire...
- Histoire des sciences et des techniques
- Application de l‘informatique aux sciences humaines
- Utopies informationelles / PC Revolution
- Structuralisme / Post-modernisme
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10. II. Origines et précurseurs des DH
Evolution des technologies du savoir
Robert Pascal, Mnémotechnologies : Une
théorie générale critique des technologies
intellectuelles, Hermes Science Publications,
2010.
Revue d‘anthropologie des
connaissances, S.A.C., Paris,
2007-
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11. II. Origines et précurseurs des DH
Application de l‘informatique aux sciences
humaines
Père Roberto Busa, Index
Thomisticus, 56 vol., 1949-1989.
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12. II. Origines et précurseurs des DH
Utopies informationelles
Bush Vannevar, As We May Think, The Atlantic, may 1945.
Consider a future device for individual use, which is a sort of mechanized
private file and library. It needs a name, and, to coin one at random,
"memex" will do. A memex is a device in which an individual stores all his
books, records, and communications, and which is mechanized so that it
may be consulted with exceeding speed and flexibility. It is an enlarged
intimate supplement to his memory.
It consists of a desk, and while it can presumably be operated from a
distance, it is primarily the piece of furniture at which he works. On the top
are slanting translucent screens, on which material can be projected for
convenient reading. There is a keyboard, and sets of buttons and levers.
Otherwise it looks like an ordinary desk.
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13. II. Origines et précurseurs des DH
Utopies informationelles
Today, at this moment, we can and
must design the media, design the
molecules of our new water, and I
believe the details of this design
matter very deeply.
Nelson Theodore H., Computer Lib / Dream
Machine, Redmond, Microsoft Press, 1974.
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14. II. Origines et précurseurs des DH
Utopies informationelles
I know now that our research with
psychedelic drugs and, in fact, the
drug culture itself was a forecast of
our preparation for the personal
computer age. (...). It is no accident
that the term LSD was used twice in
Time magazine‘s cover story about
Steve Jobs. –T. Leary, Personal
Computers / Personal Freedom
Ditlea Steve et Lunch Group (éds.), Digital Deli. The
comprehensive, user-lovable menu of computer lore,
culture, lifestyles and fancy., New York, Workman
Publishing Company, Inc., 1984. info@infoclio.ch
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15. II. Origines et précurseurs des DH
Structuralisme / Post-modernisme
• Roland Barthes, The Death of the author, ASPEN, 1967
http://www.ubu.com/aspen/aspen5and6/index.html
• Foucault Michel, « Qu’est-ce qu’un auteur ? », in Bulletin de la
Société française de philosophie, juillet-septembre 1969.
Aspen No 5+6: http://www.ubu.com/aspen/aspen5and6/index.html
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16. II. Origines et précurseurs des DH
Structuralisme / Post-modernisme
Jean-François Lyotard, Les immatériaux,
exposition au centre Georges Pompidou, 1985
On dirait que les changements,
comme toujours,
nous viennent du dehors. Par
les conditions de travail,
par le milieu de la vie
quotidienne, par les moyens
d'information.
Mais c'est dans nos têtes que ça
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17. II. Origines et précurseurs des DH
Jean-François Lyotard, Les immatériaux, exposition au
centre Georges Pompidou, 1985 (fiche du catalogue) info@infoclio.ch
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18. III. Apparition des DH
2001
A Companion to Digital Humanities, ed.
Susan Schreibman, Ray Siemens, John
Unsworth. Oxford: Blackwell, 2004.
http://www.digitalhumanities.org/companion/
2002
Alliance of Digital Humanities
Organisations
- Digital Humanities Quarterly, 2007-
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19. III. Apparition des DH
Source: ULC Center for Digital Humanities, Quantifying info@infoclio.ch
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DH, 2011

20. IV. Typologie des activités en DH
 Projets de recherche
 Editions de sources
 Développement d‘outils
 Modes de communication scientifique
 Médiation culturelle
 Enseignement
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21. IV. Typologie des activités en DH
 Projets de recherche
The Valley of Shadows, Uni. Virginia, 1993-
http://valley.lib.virginia.edu/
Base de données des élite de Suisse au XXe siècle, UNIL, 2007-
http://www2.unil.ch/elitessuisses/
Viaticalpes, UNIL, 2010-
http://www.unil.ch/viaticalpes
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22. IV. Typologie des activités en DH
 Editions de sources
Documents diplomatiques suisses
http://www.dodis.ch/
Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland, UniFri, 2005-
http://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/
Rennaissance Melancholy, ed. By Radu Suciu, 2011-
http://melancholystories.com/
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23. IV. Typologie des activités en DH
 Développement d‘outils
Zotero
http://www.zotero.org
Lit-Link
http://www.lit-link.ch/
Salsah
http://www.salsah.org/
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24. IV. Typologie des activités en DH
 Modes de communication scientifique
THATCamp – The Technology and Humanities Camp
http://www.thatcamp.org / www.switzerland2011.thatcamp.org
Scholarly Blogging
http://hypotheses.org/
http://dayofdh2012.artsrn.ualberta.ca/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/ #digitalhumanities
Nouvelles formes de publications scientifiques
http://hackingtheacademy.org/
http://livingbooksaboutlife.org/
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25. IV. Typologie des activités en DH
 Médiation culturelle
British Library - Timelines
http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/timeline/historytimeline.html
Musée national suisse – Transferts virtuels
http://vtms.musee-suisse.ch/
Notrehistoire.ch
http://www.notrehistoire.ch/
Memorado.ch
http://www.memorado.ch/
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26. IV. Typologie des activités en DH
 Enseignement
DH Bachelor and Master Programs
http://is.gd/JklT8N / http://is.gd/C8S6jJ
DH Summer schools
http://digital.humanities.ox.ac.uk/dhoxss/
Swiss Digital Humanities Summer school 2012 ?
Online educational ressources
http://www.adfontes.uzh.ch/
infoclio.ch Digital Literacy Toolkit
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27. V. Modes d’institutionnalisation des DH
Centre interdisciplinaire universitaire
http://chnm.gmu.edu/; http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dh/;
http://dhh.anu.edu.au/
http://www.abmt.unibas.ch/
Laboratoire de bibliothèque
http://www.nypl.org/collections/labs
http://library.rice.edu/services/dmc/
http://www2.lib.virginia.edu/scholarslab/
Organes de financement de la recherche
http://www.neh.gov/odh/; http://www.dfg.de/ ; http://www.cnrs.fr/
http://www.snf.ch/
Académies des sciences
www.sagw.ch
Appels d‘offre
Google Grants for Digital Humanities
infoclio.ch Presenting History Online (http://is.gd/gSd81W )
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28. VI. Développements récents en Suisse
• Humanités Digitales@unil 2011
http://www3.unil.ch/wpmu/digitalera2011/
• THATCamp Switzerland 2011
http://switzerland2011.thatcamp.org/
• NCCR Digital Culture UNIL/EPFL/UNIBE
• „Culture digitale“ OFC 2012-2016
• Bulletin SAGW 2012/1 Digital Humanities
• Infoclio.ch Call for projects Presenting History Online (30/4/2012)
• Swiss Digital Humanities Summer school 2012 ?
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29. VI. Sociologie des DH @ Day of DH
• Trier Center for Digital Humanities (http://is.gd/a8IlYA )
Team members are intent upon various research projects: They develop
metadata structures and encoding schemas for different editorial projects,
some are engaged in the encoding of reference works, editions, and
primary texts as well as programming and design work on virtual research
environments and tools to support collaborative research.
• Javier de la Rosa (http://is.gd/9hQgzf )
We are working on a slideshow game that shows baroque paintings and
ask for the user to punch the faces of the people that appears on. And the
other modality, to poke their eyes out. In the background, we are collecting
all the points the people provides to train machine learning algorithms.
• Dona Maria Alexander (http://is.gd/HL1hiG )
Social media is central to my day to day work. I’ll be tweeting, facebooking
and hopefully a little bit of blogging too!
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30. VII. Courte bibliographie récente (1/2)
• Schreibman Susan, A companion to digital humanities, Malden,
Blackwell Pub, 2004.
• McCarty Willard, Humanities computing, Basingstoke, Hampshire [etc.],
Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.
• Siemens Ray, A companion to digital literary studies, Oxford, Blackwell,
2007.
• Kirschenbaum Matthew G., Mechanisms : new media and the forensic
imagination, Cambridge, Mass, MIT Press, 2008.
• McGann Jerome J., Online Humanities Scholarship: The Shape of
Things to Come, 2010.
• Bartscherer Thomas et Coover Roderick, Switching codes : thinking
through digital technology in the humanities and the arts, Chicago,
London, University of Chicago Press, 2011. info@infoclio.ch
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31. VII. Courte bibliographie récente (2/2)
• Fitzpatrick Kathleen, Planned Obsolescence, New York University
Press, 2011.
• Berry David M., Understanding Digital Humanities, Palgrave Macmillan,
2012.
• Gold Matthew K., Debates in the Digital Humanities, Univ of Minnesota,
2012.
• Hayles N. Katherine, How We Think: Digital Media and Contemporary
Technogenesis, Univ of Chicago, 2012.
• Ramsay Stephen, Reading Machines: Toward and Algorithmic
Criticism, Univ of Illinois, 2012.
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32. VIII. infoclio.ch
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