Development of the database, the website and the online transcription

platform of Itinera Nova

Manfred Thaller: Universität zu Köln

Leuven, April 25th 2013

Itinera Nova. Tools, people & history

I. Promises, promises:November 2009 …

Promises, promises: 2009

Promises, promises: 2009

Promises, promises: 2009

Promises, promises: 2009

Promises, promises: 2009

II. … and what has happened since.

A database has been created: Architecture: XRX (XQuery, REST, Xforms). Underlying data base: eXist. The data base has been maintained and

managed. A background infrastructure for long term

preservation has been initialised.

A technical infrastructure

Transcription editor. Editorial system. Archival editor. Basic collaborative system.

Functionalities provided

General logic: text-image-viewzoomable and draggable image text annotation area with ad hoc syntax highlighting

for the ‘Itinera Nova transcription syntax’annotations can be nested following the rules of the

Text Encoding Initiative (TEI)da hoc syntax-error highlighting transformation of Itinera Nova transcription syntax

into TEI and back

Transcription editor

Transcription editor

6 types of annotations:abbreviationssuperscriptstrikethroughunsure linebreakpagebreak

Transcription editor

Roles: transcribers (author), moderators (author, contributor)

Workflowusers and moderators are informed by email if the

editorial status of a transcription entry changes

The editorial system behaves different from standard Wiki systems, since there can be only one author per transcription and the author of a transcription does never change. Corrections of a transcription done by moderators are just regarded as contributions. Contributions do not change authorship.

Editorial / moderation system

Roles: transcribers (author), moderators (author, contributor)

Workflow:(1) User starts a transcription. A new transcription entry

is created in the user’s private space. From this time forward the user is the owner of this transcription, no other user can transcribe the same act anymore.

(2) User suggests transcription for publication. The transcription entry is moved into the editorial space after a copy of the user’s last editions was archived.

Editorial / moderation system

Workflow:(3) Moderator revises the transcription(4.1) Either moderator sends it back to user / asks for

revision / informs about corrections. The transcription entry is moved back to the user’s private space after the moderator’s version was archived. There’s a version difference computed between the user’s and the moderator’s last version which makes it easy for the user to overlook the moderator’s corrections.

Editorial / moderation system

Workflow:(4.2) Or moderator publishes the transcription if no or

only minor corrections were done. The transcription entry is moved into the public area after a copy of the last moderator’s editions was archived.

(If 4.1 = corrections:) User accepts or declines corrections and suggests his transcription again for publication. Again transcription is moved to the editorial space after the user’s last editions were archived.

Editorial / moderation system

Workflow:(If corrections:) User accepts or declines corrections and

suggests his transcription again for publication. Again transcription is moved to the editorial space after the user’s last editions were archived.

(5) The author of a transcription or moderators as well can revise public transcriptions at a later time. Hereby a transcription is transformed back from TEI into the Itinera Nova syntax. The workflow starts again from (1) or (3).

Editorial / moderation system

Computing and visualizing text differences between two transcriptions for collaboration between transcribers and moderators.

Version control tool

Transcription editor

Cut & paste tool transform / cut & paste transcriptions from MS Word to TEI

Indexing registers (according to EAD)automatically create EAD file from image collectionindex of aldermenrename folios

Indexing acts (according to EAD)linking aldermenlinking foliosadditional fields: dating, type of act, abstracts

Archival editor

Indexing registers

Indexing acts

Full text search•global or register-based •filter by date range•support for wildcard expressions•hit highlighting

Authentication•role specific views•role specific functions and tools

Internationalisation•multilingual web page (dut, eng, fra)•online translation tool

Account system•online registration•request for new password•role management tool (apply new roles to users)

Archival editor

Web page 50 registered users about 40 visitors a day, mostly from Belgium most visited site: ‘my-transcriptions’ → most visitors are using

the collaborative tools

Repository meanwhile 62.000 database entries (acts, transcriptions,

versions of transcriptions, registers) about 50 new database entries per day (new acts, new

transcriptions, new versions of transcriptions, new registers)

Some numbers

Things done Most of original visions of volunteer orientation [ after a number of switches between direction to follow ]

Things undone “Medievalist” interface … insufficient ‘market’. Some addons (connection to city map of Leuven) … insufficient

time, given the need to get basic infrastructure running.

Lessons learned

III. Some context[ Promises, promises:April 2013 … ? ]

III.a Conceptual context http://www.monasterium.net/

http://www.vdu.uni-koeln.de/vdu/home

teach

A model of historical research

publication

research

editing

transcription

symbol manipulation

digitization

III.b “Political” context

Science performed in an environment, where

(1)the acquisition of information needed for a research question

(2)analysis of that information, resulting in additional information,

(3)and publication of the information gained

are equally well supported by an integrated digital environment.

A definition of eScience

Humanities performed in an environment, where

(1)the acquisition of information needed for a research question

(2)analysis of that information, resulting in additional information,

(3)and publication of the information gained

are equally well supported by an integrated digital environment.

A definition of eHumanities

A Virtual Research Environment consists of digital content, on which researchers working in different localities can collaborate with a set of integrated tools.

Their creation is currently supported by competitive funding programs of a number of national research organisations in Europe.

Virtual Research Environments

BELGIAN SCIENCE POLICY OFFICE

BRAIN-BE: Belgian Research Action Through Interdisciplinary Networks

3. THEMATIC AREA 3: CULTURAL, HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE

3.1 CROSS- AND INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPLOITATION/VALORISATION OF FEDERAL HERITAGE RESULTING FROM SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITIONS

3.2 CROSS- AND INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPLOITATION/ VALORISATION OF FEDERAL HERITAGE RELATING TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF CULTURAL, INTELLECTUAL AND ECONOMIC INFLUENCE OF THE NETHERLANDS (15TH-17TH CENTURIES)

3.3. CROSS- AND INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPLOITATION/VALORISATION OF FEDERAL HERITAGE RELATING TO THE FIRST WORLD WAR

3.4. CROSS- AND INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPLOITATION/VALORISATION OF FEDERAL HERITAGE APPLIED TO RAW MATERIALS: EXPLOITATION, INNOVATION, EXCHANGES

3.5. CROSS- AND INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPLOITATION/VALORISATION OF THE FEDERAL SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIONS APPLIED TO HEALTH ISSUES

3.6. CROSS- AND INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPLOITATION/VALORISATION OF FEDERAL HERITAGE APPLIED TO PHENOMENA OF HUMAN AND CULTURAL MIGRATIONS

BRAIN-BE

3.2 CROSS- AND INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPLOITATION/ VALORISATION OF FEDERAL HERITAGE RELATING TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF CULTURAL, INTELLECTUAL AND ECONOMIC INFLUENCE OF THE NETHERLANDS (15TH-17TH CENTURIES)

BRAIN-BE

Thank you for listening!

manfred.thaller@uni-koeln.de