Until recently, museum repositories and archives had limited public access. As a result, they were really only in the view of those in the know. Digitisation has helped to make many archives and collections more searchable and accessible online, but this in turn leads to an abundance of data in which it is difficult to find your way. The field of digital humanities faces a huge challenge to connect the multiplicity of complex sources to increase the added value of our historical-cultural heritage. The data are often fragmented and complex, while the context that gives them meaning is also often unknown. Digital techniques offer the possibility to combine this fragmented data, make missing pieces of the puzzle visible and better map the overall context.
Connecting character
This question makes connections between humanities disciplines such as art history, musicology and media studies on the one hand, and computer science on the other. The question is explanatory in character insofar as it concerns coherence within the cultural heritage in question. Using new data, we can seek systematic answers to questions about cultures and their material heritage. We can also get a better grip on the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage. Furthermore, design aspects play a role. It concerns the accessibility of source material: for researchers, efficient data and text mining techniques and methods are crucial for meaningful access to heritage. But visibility is also important: research results must be translated into innovations that both reach a wider audience and serve heritage professionals. Finally, digitisation of heritage offers numerous new opportunities and possibilities for shaping cultural policy.
