Digital Humanities and Digital Communication: Integrating traditional and innovative tools

Host Institution: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Website: https://www.summerschooldigitalhumanities.unimore.it/2025-edition/

Dates: 03-Jun-2025 - 06-Jun-2025
Location: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Studies in Language and Culture, Modena, Italy

Minimum Education Level: PhD students

Focus: The 2025 Summer School of the UNIMORE Doctoral Program in Human Sciences will explore how innovative digital tools can be integrated with traditional methods and practices. The sessions will include both lectures by prominent researchers and hands-on workshops.

Description:

Digital Technology is a major enabler as recent developments in research in the humanities have shown. New applications, software and techniques have raised the level of analysis we can perform. Machine learning in the form of deep neural networks has revolutionized our ability to process large datasets and classify or otherwise learn from their content. We now have sophisticated tools for the compilation, annotation and analysis of corpora, distant reading methods and techniques, increasingly complex digital archives and Large Language Models for faster and better translations.

Although AI is indeed pushing the boundaries of technological progress further and further beyond what was conceivable perhaps even just a few years ago, we cannot overlook the value of traditional knowledge, skills and abilities. While far from defending a Luddite position on the question, it can be argued that the human element in research is still fundamental when using these digital tools, not least of all to guarantee representative data to avoid bias. Furthermore, the sensitivity, cultural awareness and knowledge of researchers can continue to benefit the interpretation of data. Traditional methods and innovative tools should be seen as complementary to each other, not the replacement of one for the other. However, knowing how researchers should interact with AI and work in tandem is fundamental for success.

Tuition: 100 Euros
Tuition Explanation: The registration fee will cover insurance, workshops, lectures, lunches and coffee breaks.

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics
Discourse Analysis
Ling & Literature
Text/Corpus Linguistics
Translation

Registration Open until 28-Mar-2025

Apply on the web: https://www.summerschooldigitalhumanities.unimore.it/2025-edition/application/

Registration Instructions:
SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA

The selection of participants is based on a review process organised by the scientific committee of the summer school. This process is open to all PhD students and to young non-tenured researchers. The application will be subjected to a double-blind peer review. Based on this review, the scientific committee of the summer school will select the participants.

The selection criteria are:

quality of the PhD project, assessed in relation to its:
i) theoretical approach;
ii) methodological standards;
iii) potential for innovation;
the relevance of the aims and objectives of the PhD project within the areas covered.
Participants will be expected to present their work at the Summer School, either in the form of a presentation or a poster.

APPLICATION FORM

The application form includes:
- abstract of the PhD project/current research project (max 2500 characters, including spaces. Please submit your abstract as Word documents and format your in-text references and bibliography in APA7)
- a short CV according to a given model (see below)

This process is open to all PhD students and to young non-tenured researchers. The total number of students will be limited to 30.

The deadline for applications is March 28th 2025.

All applicants will be informed about the selection of participants by April 11th 2025.

Send the application form, abstract, and CV to: [email protected] (with the subject of the email “Application Name Surname“)