DHOXSS 2024 - the Humanities Data strand

Jiayao Jiang was awarded a bursary to attend the Digital Humanities Oxford Summer School in 2024.  To join the mailing list and learn about the next summer school sign up here. Read about Jiayao's experience at the summer school here:

Attending the 2024 Digital Humanities at Oxford Summer School (DHOxSS)—particularly the Humanities Data strand—was an unforgettable and enriching experience. As a PhD student at the University of Cambridge specialising in cultural heritage, I found the summer school highly inspiring and directly relevant to my work.

The Humanities Data strand covered a wide range of topics in digital humanities, providing participants with a comprehensive overview of the tools and techniques available for working with humanities data. This broad approach helped to contextualize the potential applications of digital tools in academic research.

One of the highlights for me was the session on “Enriching Exhibition Stories with Quire.” The session was led by the principal investigator and core researchers behind this tool, who guided us through a hands-on experience of creating exhibition-centric digital outputs. This practical knowledge will be high applicable for my own research.

Photo by Jiayao Jiang

I also greatly appreciated the well-organized structure of the summer school. The online learning platform provided access to all necessary data and materials, making it easy to follow along and revisit the content at our own pace.

The interactive and open environment fostered by the organizers stood out as one of the most enjoyable aspects of the program. Great care was taken to ensure everyone felt heard and comfortable sharing their thoughts. We were divided into smaller groups based on our interests, allowing for focused discussions and collaborative learning. Additionally, opportunities like the photo campaign and poster session encouraged participants to showcase their own research, creating a dynamic, multi-directional learning process rather than a traditional tutor-student dynamic.

Photo by Jiayao Jiang

I also had the chance to present my research on digital humanities during the “Humanities Data Miscellany” session. Despite the presentation being brief, the feedback I received from the audience was incredibly helpful, sparking valuable discussions and prompting me to rethink certain aspects of my work.

Overall, the DHOxSS is a wonderful experience for anyone interested in digital humanities. It combines insightful content, interactive sessions, and a supportive community, making it an enriching experience for researchers who are interested in Digital Humanties.