Chapter 3

不要问我为什么

Introduction

Chapter 3 of The Digital Humanities delves into the core elements of text and document within the digital humanities, examining how digital technologies reshape their definitions, uses, and interpretations. The authors argue that while traditional humanities focused on unique, material objects like manuscripts and printed books, the digital era expands these concepts to include any data amenable to reading and analysis, thereby transforming research methodologies and scholarly communication.

Redefining Text and Document

The chapter begins by challenging conventional notions of "text," which historically referred to literary works like poems or novels. In the digital age, text encompasses any cultural object that can be "read," including images, sounds, and spatial data, influenced by theories of intertextuality and cultural symbolism. Similarly, "document" evolves from a written or printed proof to anything that serves as evidence, as defined by information science pioneers like Suzanne Briet. This expansion allows humanists to treat artifacts, performances, and even digital files as documents, blurring disciplinary boundaries.

Digital Tools and Applications

Digital tools enable the conversion, encoding, and manipulation of texts and documents. For instance, optical character recognition (OCR) and handwriting recognition (HWR) software facilitate the digitization of analog materials, while text-mining and visualization tools uncover patterns in large datasets. Projects like the Rossetti Archive exemplify this by integrating verbal and visual texts into a searchable digital environment, promoting interoperability through aggregations like NINES. The Women Writers Project uses data trees to map literary relationships, illustrating how digital tools enhance textual analysis.

Examples from Digital Projects

The chapter highlights several digital initiatives. The British Women Romantic Poets Project aggregates non-canonical works, challenging traditional literary canons by emphasizing synchronic cultural contexts over diachronic influence. Similarly, London Lives digitizes plebeian records from eighteenth-century London, enabling researchers to explore social histories through linked data. These projects demonstrate how digitization democratizes access but also requires careful curation to avoid overwhelming users with unmediated information.

Challenges of Digital Representation

A key tension arises between digital representation and material authenticity. Drawing on Walter Benjamin's ideas, the authors note that digital reproductions lack the "presence in time and space" of originals, potentially undermining the unique materiality that grounds humanistic study. For example, while multispectral imaging (as used in the Lazarus Project) can recover damaged texts like the Codex Vercellensi, it raises questions about whether digital surrogates can fully capture the historical context of artifacts. Scholars must navigate these issues to ensure that digital tools enhance rather than dilute interpretive depth.

Theoretical and Practical Implications

The digital turn encourages humanists to adopt collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches, yet it also highlights disparities in resources and access. Tools like text annotation and crowdsourcing foster new forms of scholarly dialogue, but they require sustainable infrastructures to remain viable. The chapter suggests that digital humanities must balance innovation with critical reflection on how technology influences research questions and outcomes.

Conclusion

Chapter 3 underscores that digital technologies profoundly alter how humanists engage with text and document, offering unprecedented opportunities for analysis and dissemination while posing ethical and methodological challenges. By redefining these elements, digital humanities not modernizes traditional practices but also invites a reevaluation of what constitutes evidence and interpretation in a connected world.