Humanities.digital

The University Library accompanies and supports the digital transformation in research and teaching in the humanities and cultural sciences. Here you will find support and resources for the use of digital methods, the teaching of digital skills and the establishment of information technology infrastructure. Our portfolio is constantly being expanded. We welcome your inquiries and suggestions.

In principle, research data refers to all types of materials that are created, developed or discovered during a scientific activity and contribute to answering a research question. In the humanities and cultural sciences, this includes, for example, texts, art and cultural objects, digitized historical sources, audio and video recordings and information on social, spatial and temporal relationships.

• Comprehensive advice in all project phases We are happy to support you in all project phases, from the conception of an idea to the organization and processing of research data through to publication and archiving.
• Proposal editing We are familiar with the requirements of third-party funding bodies and can comment on your third-party funding proposal with regard to RDM in the humanities and cultural sciences.
• Practical advice and training We are happy to support you in selecting and using suitable software and offer project-related advice and practical workshops.

Further information on this topic can be found on the website of the Research Data Management department.

The University Library provides researchers in the humanities and cultural sciences with the technology they need to digitize their research and teaching. In cooperation with the IT & Media Center (ITMC) and partner institutions in the region, we provide you with databases, a computer and server infrastructure, digital media devices and expertise in setting up and operating software.

• Borrowing digital media devices The University Library lends high-end digital media devices and provides you with expertise in their use and subsequent data processing. HyLeC
• Hosting subject-specific software Individual institutes and researchers can apply to set up a virtual machine for the temporary operation of software solutions with a smaller user group, for example to use subject-specific analysis software in teaching or to pilot an in-house development.
• Collaborative programming A JupyterHub and a GitLab instance are available to staff and students for collaborative programming. We will be happy to advise you on the use and integration in research and teaching.
• Set up a project website You can use our GitLab instance to set up a static website to present your project. This will make your research more visible and accessible to a wider public. We will be happy to advise you on the technical implementation.
• Licensing subject-specific databases The university library will take care of researching and licensing subject-specific databases for you, for example corpus platforms. However, this usually has to be financed from faculty funds.

The University Library operates two innovative and experimental spaces for playful learning, research and creative work, both analog and digital.

• Hybrid Learning Center (HyLeC) Makerspace The HyLeC Makerspace offers a wide range of opportunities to try out and make things yourself, such as a 3D body scanner and a podcast and video studio.HyLeC
• Game Lab The Game Lab provides free access to video game hardware and software. Here people can play, develop and discuss the cultural significance of games and interactive media. Game Lab

Computer-assisted work and the problem-oriented use of digital tools are an integral part of academic methodological and information literacy. This includes, for example, the automated collection and formal analysis of large amounts of text (text and data mining, TDM), programming skills, annotating and marking up texts, a conceptual understanding of statistical models and practical skills in the responsible handling of data.

• Anchoring data literacy in the subject context We offer training courses to teach digital scientific working techniques, such as how to work on humanities and cultural studies research subjects using programming languages (Python, R) or how to create a digital edition using markup languages (e.g. TEI-XML).
• Introducing digital research tools We will be happy to advise you on selected tools and support you in co-teaching formats when introducing digital research tools into your teaching.
• Using text and data mining The University Library has technical and legal expertise in the field of text and data mining. We are happy to advise and support you with research projects or teaching concepts that use this methodology. Text and data mining

The University Library provides comprehensive support for the publication of your research results and teaching materials in innovative, open and digital formats.

• Open access publishing You can publish your research results digitally and open access on our university's own platforms TUDObooks and Eldorado. We also support you with external open access publications. Under certain conditions, publication costs can also be covered on application. Please contact us at an early stage. Open Access
• Publish Open Access You can publish a digital Open Access journal on our university's own platform TUDOjournals. TUDOjournals
• Publish research data On our university's own repository TUDOdata, you can store research data securely and long-term after the successful completion of your research project and publish it as required. TUDOdata
• Creating and publishing Open Educational Resources (OER) We are happy to advise you on the basic framework conditions and the first steps in creating and using Open Educational Resources. OER

The TU Dortmund University Archive, founded in 2012, is being expanded as a central infrastructure for research in the humanities and cultural studies. Its collections will be integrated into catalogue plus so that the individual collection items can be found, viewed and networked in a digital reading room. Contact us if you have a collection, would like to create one and/or integrate it into the digital reading room.

Further information on this topic can be found on the TU Dortmund University Archive website.