Are you a Digital Humanities student or early career researcher in Belgium who would like to discuss DH with other early career researchers in the Belgian DH community? If so, you might be interested in joining the DH Virtual Discussion Group for ECRs!
The DH Virtual Discussion Group is a joint initiative organized by individuals at three different Belgian institutions. We strive to involve speakers from various Belgian institutions and encourage participation from all those who are interested in DH and are located at any Belgian institution. This year, the core organizers are Leah Budke (KU Leuven Libraries Artes), Sven Lieber (KBR), Paavo van der Eecken (University of Antwerp), and Loren Verreyen (University of Antwerp). Over the past years, the series has become a regular event. The fall 2024 edition proudly marks our ninth term.
Our sessions this fall will continue the “under-the-hood” format, which entails a volunteer from our community providing a thirty-minute overview of a digital project implementing a given tool, approach, or platform. This is not meant to be a polished research presentation, or to present findings or results, but rather to give our community a behind-the-scenes look at how decisions were made and why specific tools were chosen or developed. The hope is also that this presenter will give attendees some ideas about how to get started implementing a specific tool or workflow, and that they can also answer questions or contribute to a discussion on other projects in our community that might be using similar methodologies or addressing similar issues. This “under-the-hood” session format allows us to have focused discussions around a specific project where we can learn from each other in an informal way. In addition, by implementing this format we can maintain the low threshold for contributing and engaging in the conversations. It also allows us to learn about the diverse projects being done in the Benelux region related to digital humanities (an added bonus!).
The following sessions are on the schedule for the fall 2024 semester (details will be updated as confirmed):
Session 1
Monday 21 October, 15h-16h30 CEST via Teams
Speaker(s): Leonardo Grotti, University of Antwerp
Title: Methodological Challenges and Innovations in Hearing Therapy Research: The MuLiSSA
Abstract: Disabling hearing loss (DHL) is a global concern, impacting millions and necessitating innovative solutions. In the pursuit of these solutions, hearing therapy research encounters methodological complexities that require careful consideration. This paper introduces the MuLiSSA project, which aims to address these challenges and advance hearing assessment and rehabilitation.
Our research targets the shift from traditional in-booth speech audiometry to self-administered assessments via wireless audio streaming, increasing accessibility across settings. We validate the feasibility of boothless self-testing, accounting for technical and environmental constraints.
To improve precision in speech audiometry, we explore techniques for identifying phoneme errors in patients, aiming to enhance personalized hearing device settings and rehabilitation outcomes. Additionally, we address multilingual speech testing to enable comparable scores across languages, breaking language barriers in hearing healthcare. We also discuss strategies for integrating diverse research methodologies, addressing interdisciplinary challenges, and managing funding complexities in methodologically diverse projects.
Session 2
Monday 25 November, 15h-16h30 CET via Teams
Speaker(s): Anthe Sevenants, KU Leuven
Title: The Sims for Research: The Merit of Using Computer Simulations
Abstract: As researchers, we sometimes have questions that are rather difficult to test empirically. Often, these are bold, far-reaching questions which, while ambitious, are simply impossible to operationalise. Usually, these restraints are of practical, financial or some other concern. In my talk, I propose a methodology which sidesteps these issues: computer simulations. With computer simulations, you can build your own virtual societies which you can establish in any way you like, a practice conceptually analogous to “The Sims” games. The idea is that in these simulations, you can distill social relations between people to just the mechanisms you are interested in as a researcher. In this virtual world free of noise, budget contraints or ethical commissions, you are free to change the rules according to which agents, virtual inhabitants, behave. In this way, you are able to test what the theoretical limits are to the specific behaviour or theories you are interested in.
While it is clear that computer simulations could be used for a plethora of different research questions within the humanities (i.e. history, archaeology), I will present how simulations can be used for the study of language change. To this end, I will explain the plans for a case study from my FWO project, which is centred around how computer simulations can help us understand how frequency of use shapes language change. I will give concrete examples of the types of questions I would like to answer with the computer simulations, which will give a better idea of the genre of questions this methodology is able to answer in the first place. At the same time, I will emphasise the shortcomings and pitfalls of computer simulations as a research tool, because unfortunately, unlike “The Sims”, good research has no cheat codes.
View Anthe’s presentation in our Zenodo community
Session 3
Monday 16 December, 15h-16h30 CET via Teams
Speaker(s): Fien Messens, Ghent University
Title: Raw to Refined: The Case of the Navez Project
Abstract: (Art) historical data can be tricky—often fragmented, incomplete, and curated—making it challenging to study the impact of key figures. However, the remaining data in 2024 offers valuable insights into earlier societies. In this presentation, I will address the challenges of identifying historical figures, such as artists, whose identities are often obscured by incomplete records or inconsistent name spellings. Together, we will explore how Digital Humanities methods, including Linked Open Data (LOD), can assist in contextualizing these individuals (and how not).
We’ll step back into the 19th century to examine the surviving data on Belgium’s most important neoclassical painter, François-Joseph Navez (1787-1869). This research is part of the FWO-funded Navez Project, a collaboration between Ghent University and KBR.
The slides from Fien’s presentation will be made available here after the meeting
There are an increasing number of conferences, workshops, and funding opportunities in DH, and we would like to ensure that you are aware of them. We will start every session with a moment for individuals to share news about upcoming lectures, workshops, seminars, and conferences. We have a corresponding Slack group where we also share these opportunities both during the discussion group meetings and in between. The link to join the Slack group is included in every email sent out to the mailing list, so watch for it there or send us an email to request access.
If you would like to register or invite other colleagues to join, please complete the registration form for the mailing list here. Please note, if you have received emails from us about the Discussion Group in the past, it means you are already on our mailing list. In that case, there is no need to register again—you will receive the emails with the MS Teams link and any additional information on the day of the session. Additionally, you will also receive updates on upcoming sessions including further details about speakers and the “under-the-hood” presentation topics.
Are you a frequent attendee of the DH Virtual Discussion Group and would like a low-threshold way to become more involved in the organization? We are looking for ambassadors to promote the group within their university networks. If this might be a role you would like to take on, get in touch and we can tell you more!
We look forward to seeing you this fall!
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