Using word vector models to trace conceptual change over time and space in historical newspapers, 1840–1914

in Digital Humanities Quarterly (2022), 16(2),

Linking large digitized newspaper corpora in different languages that have become available in national and state libraries opens up new possibilities for the computational analysis of patterns of ... [more ▼]

Linking large digitized newspaper corpora in different languages that have become available in national and state libraries opens up new possibilities for the computational analysis of patterns of information flow across national and linguistic boundaries. The significant contribution this article presents is to demonstrate how word vector models can be used to explore the way concepts have shifted in meaning over time, as they migrated across space, by comparing newspapers from different countries published between 1840 and 1914. We define a concept, rather pragmatically, as a key term or core idea that has been used in historical discourse: an abstraction or mental representation that has served as a building block for thoughts and beliefs. We use historical newspapers in English, Finnish, German and Swedish from collections in the UK, US, Germany, and Finland, as well as the Europeana collection. As use cases, we analyze how the different conceptual constructs of “nation” and “illness” emerged and changed between 1840 and 1920. Conceptual change over time is simulated by creating a series of overlapping word vector models, each spanning ten years. Historical vocabularies are retrieved on the basis of vector space proximity. Conceptual change across space is simulated by comparing the historical change of vocabularies in newspaper collections from different nations in several languages. This computational approach to conceptual history opens up new ways to identify patterns in public discourse over longer periods of time and across borders. [less ▲]

Fading Away... The challenge of sustainability in digital studies

in Digital Humanities Quarterly (2020), 14(3),

This paper emphasizes the need to think about sustainability as a key element of digital studies and digital hermeneutics. It addresses the inherent tensions between the long-term needs of data ... [more ▼]

This paper emphasizes the need to think about sustainability as a key element of digital studies and digital hermeneutics. It addresses the inherent tensions between the long-term needs of data preservation and maintenance on the one side, and the short life cycles of the data formats, platforms and infrastructures on the other side. Challenges are not limited to the technical maintenance of software, tools and data, but also apply to the wider institutional contexts, epistemic traditions and social practices in which the doing of research in social sciences and humanities are embedded. We explore these tensions at several levels, temporalities and key stages in research – namely data access and building a corpus, establishing a research framework and analysis, and finally the use/dissemination of results. [less ▲]

Film and Video Analysis in the Digital Humanities – An Interdisciplinary Dialog

in Digital Humanities Quarterly (2020), 14(4),

This editorial introduces the special issue on “Digital Humanities & Film Studies: Analyzing the Modalities of Moving Images,” which contains a total of eight exciting contributions. Moreover, this ... [more ▼]

This editorial introduces the special issue on “Digital Humanities & Film Studies: Analyzing the Modalities of Moving Images,” which contains a total of eight exciting contributions. Moreover, this editorial aims to highlight the complementary disciplinary perspectives on the computer-aided analysis of moving images, which are important prerequisites to better understand and situate a common DH perspective [less ▲]

Reading Today.. A review of Claire Clivaz, Jérôme Meizoz, François Vallotton, et Joseph Verheyden, éds. Lire demain: Des manuscrits antiques à l’ère digitale (Lausanne: PPUR, 2012).

in Digital Humanities Quarterly (2014), 8(4),

A review of Claire Clivaz, Jérôme Meizoz, François Vallotton, et Joseph Verheyden, éds. Lire demain: Des manuscrits antiques à l’ère digitale [Reading Tomorrow: From Ancient Manuscripts to the Digital Era ... [more ▼]

A review of Claire Clivaz, Jérôme Meizoz, François Vallotton, et Joseph Verheyden, éds. Lire demain: Des manuscrits antiques à l’ère digitale [Reading Tomorrow: From Ancient Manuscripts to the Digital Era]. (Lausanne: Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes, 2012). 978-2-88074-958-3. [less ▲]