Uncovering Collaboratories Uncovering Collaboratories in Social and Economic Historyin Social and Economic HistoryUncovering Collaboratories Uncovering Collaboratories in Social and Economic Historyin Social and Economic History

Stefan DormansStefan Dormans

5th International Conference on e-Social Science

25 June 2009, Cologne

Stefan DormansStefan Dormans

5th International Conference on e-Social Science

25 June 2009, Cologne

Natural Sciences vs. SS&HNatural Sciences vs. SS&H

•More collaboratories•Longer tradition•More funding and support

Social and technological Social and technological aspects of collaboratory aspects of collaboratory projects in social and projects in social and economic historyeconomic history

Collaboratories in Social and Economic HistoryCollaboratories in Social and Economic HistoryCollaboratories in Social and Economic HistoryCollaboratories in Social and Economic History

Groups of experts who aggregate and co-create datasets for international historical research

Global Collaboratory on Labour Relations: 1500-2000Global Collaboratory on Labour Relations: 1500-2000w

ikim

edia

.org

Historical dataHistorical dataHistorical dataHistorical data

“Unless the evidence is available in its original form or in careful extracts transcribed by previous scholars, historians will not have the information they need to reinterpret the events they have not researched personally.” (Roth et al., 2008: 82)

• Publications

• Metadata

• Annotation

• Methodological papers

oGuesstimates

• Publications

• Metadata

• Annotation

• Methodological papers

oGuesstimates

Meta knowledgeMeta knowledgeMeta knowledgeMeta knowledge

Moments of engagementMoments of engagementMoments of engagementMoments of engagement

• Workshops

• Mailing lists and e-mail

• Collaborative software

o Little interaction outside workshops

• Workshops

• Mailing lists and e-mail

• Collaborative software

o Little interaction outside workshops

Making the implicit explicitMaking the implicit explicitMaking the implicit explicitMaking the implicit explicit

• Solitary work

• Time investment

• Uncover the implicit research process

• Open for scrutiny and contestation

• Solitary work

• Time investment

• Uncover the implicit research process

• Open for scrutiny and contestation

Stefan DormansStefan Dormans  Amsterdam, the NetherlandsAmsterdam, the NetherlandsVirtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities and Social Sciences (VKS)Virtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities and Social Sciences (VKS)Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)

stefan.dormans@vks.knaw.nlstefan.dormans@vks.knaw.nl