Over the past five years, “data science” has become a major force, as companies strive to gain insight into customer behavior, researchers look for patterns in large collections of data, and educational institutions aim to train the next generation of data scientists. (Rice has recently launched its own data science initiative.) Humanists have rich data to analyze (such as collections of texts, images, media objects, cultural information, etc) and are developing significant data-intensive research projects, but they are also raising important questions about ethics, how to handle absence and ambiguity, and the risk of reductionism.

So what are we to make of data science in the (digital) humanities, and what can humanists and cultural heritage professionals contribute? What do humanities scholars and cultural heritage professionals need to know about data science? What would a humanities data science course look like? In this Talk/Make session, I’d like to collectively sketch out a humanities data science syllabus in order to articulate key questions/themes and get started imagining a potential course. Potential models include Lauren Klein’s LMC 3206: Studies in Communication and Culture: Data and Miriam Posner’s DH 101.

Want to discuss a new or upcoming project, demonstrate a tool, pose a meaty question, or call for collaborators? Give an informal, two-to-three minute presentation during our Dork Short session, which will take place over lunch. This lively lightning talks session is a great way to get the word out about a project or idea and to find people who can work with you or provide input. To sign up to give a dork short, just make a comment on this post, giving a title or brief description of your Dork Short. Note that we want to keep the session moving along, so plan to show a single slide (pre-loaded onto the presentation computer) or web page (if anything at all). You can always make a spur-of-the-moment decision on Saturday to do a Dork Short.

THATCamp Digital Frontiers will take place at Rice University’s Fondren Library on Saturday, September 24, 2016, immediately after the Digital Frontiers conference. It is co-sponsored by the the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (through the Resilient Networks to Support Inclusive Digital Humanities Project grant), Digital Frontiers, Fondren Library and the Texas Digital Humanities Consortium.

We welcome all with an interest in digital humanities (broadly conceived) to join us for what promises to be a exhilarating day of conversation, hands-on exploration, and community building.

Registration

Thanks to generous sponsorship from the Mellon Foundation, registration is free. In order to provide the best THATCamp experience, we will limit registration to the first 50 registrants (first come, first served). Registration will close on September 19, 2016. If you didn’t make the registration deadline, you’re still welcome to register and attend, but you’ll need to provide your own breakfast and lunch.