Trouw interviews with Iris Muis In December 2022, the Algorithm Register (Algoritmeregister) was established in the Netherlands to map all automated selection processes used by the government. However, it still doesn’t work as intended. The Dutch newspaper Trouw spoke with Iris Muis, Lead Operation at Data School, about data ethics and the Fundamental Rights & Algorithms Impact Assessment (FRAIA), a […] Read more
New name for Digital Humanities Lab: Research Software Lab From 1 May 2023 onwards, the Digital Humanities Lab, part of the Centre for Digital Humanities, will continue under the name: Research Software Lab. Why ‘Research Software Lab’? The reason for the new name is to provide more clarity about the various parts that fall under the Centre for Digital Humanities (CDH) of Utrecht University. […] Read more
New name for Utrecht Data School: Data School From 1 May 2023 onwards, the Utrecht Data School will have a new name and logo. Utrecht Data School will continue under the name Data School and the logo will be adapted to Utrecht University’s latest style guidelines. Why ‘Data School’? Utrecht University’s brand policy stipulates that names of organisational units may no longer contain the […] Read more
Mirko Schäfer member of new advisory committee for governmental institutions On March 17, 2023, the Analytics Advisory Committee (Adviescommissie Analytics) has officially started. This committee, consisting of academics and experts, will provide solicited and unsolicited advice to the Ministry of Finance, the Tax Administration, Customs and Service Surcharges on how to deal with risk models and algorithms. Risk models and algorithms can increase efficiency and […] Read more
Research Software Lab collaborates on new interactive platform for researching historical Jewish migration data To further map the mechanisms and underlying structures of Jewish migration in Europe, the new project ‘Interactive Geo-Spatial Platform for Modelling Jewish Historical Migration’ has been launched. This project has been awarded a FAIR IT Grant. Professor of Late Antiquity Leonard Rutgers, master’s student Stefan Dingemans and developer Tijmen Baarda (Centre for Digital Humanities) will together shape the new […] Read more
Interview with Edo Storm, winner of the Digital History Thesis Award 2023 Edo Storm used a combination of computational methods and close reading to conduct research into the history of the term ‘the West’. It earned him this year’s Digital History Thesis Award. Storm: ‘I wouldn’t have seen the big overarching narrative without this computational method.’ Fellow students sometimes joked about him and his ‘digital stuff’ when […] Read more
Launch of the Frisian dialects project The Digital Humanities Lab, together with a group of researchers from Utrecht University and Fryske Akademy, launched the Frisian dialects application to collect Frisian language data in an online experiment in the form of a game. The Frisian dialects application, built by developer Ben Bonfil, tests the knowledge of language variation within Frisia (Northern part […] Read more
Student-assistent gezocht bij Centre for Digital Humanities (0,2 – 0,3 fte) Binnen de geesteswetenschappen wordt steeds meer gebruik gemaakt van gedigitaliseerde data en tools om deze data te bewerken en analyseren. Om onderzoek en onderwijs op dit gebied te ondersteunen is aan de faculteit Geesteswetenschappen van de Universiteit Utrecht een Centre for Digital Humanities (CDH) ingericht, waarmee bestaande activiteiten versterkt en gebundeld worden. Zo worden in het Research […] Read more
CDH awarded two FAIR Research IT Innovation Grants The Centre for Digital Humanities (CDH) has been awarded two FAIR Research IT Innovation Grants. These will allow the CDH to host its own server instance of 4CAT, a webbased toolkit enabling researchers and students to collect and process social media data in a well-secured virtual self-service setting, as well as the addition of a […] Read more
As a humanities scholar, are you struggling with your quantitative research design? Statistical Advisor Kirsten Schutter organizes ‘Quantitative research design meetings’ in March, April and May. These meetings are intended for staff at the Faculty of Humanities who are interested in or are struggling with the quantitative component of their research designs. During this meetings, researchers can present and discuss their ideas. According to textbooks on research methodology, doing quantitative […] Read more
Centre for Digital Humanities zoekt full-stack ontwikkelaar (0,8 – 1,0 fte) Het Centre for Digital Humanities (CDH) zoekt een full-stack ontwikkelaar voor het Portal Development onderdeel (PortalDev). PortalDev is een klein team van developers dat verantwoordelijk is voor het onderzoeken, ontwerpen, bouwen en beheren van uiteenlopende portals en andere toepassingen ten behoeve van de onderzoeks- en onderwijsinfrastructuur van de faculteit Geesteswetenschappen. Reageren kan tot en met […] Read more
Now online: Database with Dutch dialect idioms The Digital Humanities Lab relaunches the ‘Dutch Dialect Idioms’ database, developed by linguists from Utrecht University and KU Leuven. This is a renewed version of an online database of idioms in 13 Dutch dialects. Idioms are special, linguistically speaking, because they have a meaning that does not follow from their parts: when someone ‘kicked the […] Read more
Stageplaats aangeboden bij het Centre for Digital Humanities: eventorganisatie Digital Humanities Day Het Centre for Digital Humanities zoekt een enthousiaste stagiaire om twee events in het najaar 2023 te organiseren. Zoek jij een uitdagende stage met veel verantwoordelijkheid en de mogelijkheid om jezelf te ontwikkelen? Lees dan verder. Binnen de geesteswetenschappen wordt steeds meer gebruik gemaakt van gedigitaliseerde data en tools om deze data te bewerken en […] Read more
Release of ‘Situating Data – Inquiries in Algorithmic Culture’ The Department of Media and Culture Studies (MCW) at the Faculty of Humanities at Utrecht University just released the edited volume Situating Data – Inquiries in Algorithmic Culture (Amsterdam University Press). This collection was initiated because the MCW researchers wanted to bring together the work around data in the department. The collection brings together various […] Read more
TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is harmful to people prone to eating disorders – Research by Data School Together with news magazine De Groene Amsterdammer and television news service RTL Nieuws, Data School conducted research into TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. The researchers created 12 automated accounts that started with an initial interest in dieting, fitness, or slim women; within half an hour they spiraled into a constant stream of videos relating to eating disorders. “The happiest place on earth”, […] Read more
New: Introductory lecture Automatic Speech Recognition Wat are the (im)possibilities of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)? How does ASR work, what are the current speech recognizers and what will (hopefully) change in the coming months? Sign up for the hybrid introductory lecture by researcher Language and Speech Technology Arjan van Hessen on Thursday 16 March from 10:00 to 12:00 hrs. Automatic Speech Recognition – […] Read more
Job alert: Specialist wetenschappelijke informatie Digital Humanities en Linked Open Data (0,8 – 1,0 fte) Heb je ervaring met Digital Humanities, programmeren en Linked Open Data? Ligt je passie bij het ondersteunen van kwalitatief onderzoek en onderwijs? De Universiteitsbibliotheek van de Universiteit Utrecht is op zoek naar een specialist Digital Humanities om het bestaande team te versterken. Deadline om te reageren is 26 februari 2023. Bekijk de vacature hier. […] Read more
Blog by Hugo Quené – Open art: Rudolf Stingel During the Christmas holidays, I was introduced to the work of Rudolf Stingel (1956). I saw fascinating similarities in his work to Open Science, and especially to two of its themes: FAIR Data and Software, and Public Engagement. FAIR Data and Software In 1988, Stingel started working on “silver paintings”, large canvases with monochrome backgrounds, […] Read more
Data School at #PrivacyCamp23 On January 25, Data School attended a panel in the 11th edition of Privacy Camp in Brussels. Privacy Camp is an annual conference that brings together digital rights advocates, activists, academics and policy-makers from all around Europe and beyond to discuss the most pressing issues facing human rights online. The panel to which the Data […] Read more
Questions about data, Python, R or any other aspects of digital humanities? Visit the Digital Humanities Walk-in Hours Do you have a question about data, Python, or R? Or are you just finding your way in the field of digital humanities and need some guidance? All humanities staff and students are welcome to visit our weekly Digital Humanities Walk-in Hours on Thursdays from 14:00 to 15:00 hrs. Looking for a suitable digital tool to […] Read more