Modelling: Thinking in Practice; An Introduction

Abstract

In this introduction of the HSR Supplement “Models and Modelling between Digital and Humanities - A Multidisciplinary Perspective” we refrain from providing a normative definition of ‘model’ and ‘modelling’ and rather attempt at encircling the current state of the art. In the first instance this chapter provides a very brief overview on modelling as intended as a research strategy applied to scientific fields in the 20th-21st centuries. This overview is followed by a short introduction to modelling in digital humanities, focusing on how modelling has developed into a practical strategy and how it has been theorised. The third part of the introduction presents the scope of the project ”Modelling between digital and humanities: Thinking in practice”. The aim of a project workshop held in 2017, of which this volume collects the proceedings, was to present a multitude of modelling practices from various disciplines together with different theoretical frameworks. The fourth part of this introduction offers an overview of each of the papers in this volume. Finally, a fifth section constitutes the first item of the proceedings as it reproduces an adaptation of the dialogue which was performed to introduce the main topics of the workshop and the scope of the project at the event itself. It serves to illustrate the way we organised the workshop and how the exchanges amongst participants were facilitated.