## Introduction and Overview: The Power and Potential of Data Re-use
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Jeffrey C. Witt (Loyola University Maryland)
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Basic Questions
How can we prepare editions today that allow us to offer free and open access to critical editions in multiple representational forms (web, print, etc)?
How can we prepare editions so that we can re-use this data to map and visualize multiple categories of inter-textual relationships within a given corpus? For example: referenced passages, dependent arguments, derivative paragraphs, quotation re-use, parallel discussions, common topics of discussion.
Problems with a traditional workflow
1) The workflow produces limited access that pales in comparison to the kind of dissemination made possible through the Internet.
2.) It encourages us to work in isolation to the point that scholars may often be working on the same text and not even know that someone else is working on that text.
3. Texts produced in this manner are incredibly difficult to revise.
4. The static and un-revisable nature of the text discourages the contribution of novices and beginners.
5. The texts produced are not as critical as they could be. For example: they can't produce on demand collations of witnesses, nor facilitate consultation of actual manuscript witnesses.
6. The production of an isolated edition tends to promote "silo-ed" data rather than "linked" data. It makes it extremely hard for us trace the web of connections present in the textual tradition.
The point is that print-only editions that do not offer us re-usable data, isolate the text from the rest of the corpus, making analysis and comparison of the genre as whole difficult, if not impossible.
In sum, the goal is to organize transcriptions, editions, and related data in ways that are open and reusable both for intended uses and for those not yet anticipated.
Wish List
1. Allow anyone, anywhere, to view any manuscript witness in a single well made viewer without having to download or transfer files.
2. Enable researchers to quickly determine whether or not a transcription has been started.
3. Allow anyone anywhere, novice or expert, to begin transcribing a text, identifying references, connections, and relationships. IN SHORT: To facilitate collaboration rather than competition between editors.
4. Immediately and automatically incorporate those transcriptions (in progress or completed) into the larger corpus.
5. Expose data so that it can be consumed by multiple viewing interfaces. Destroy data silos.
6. Allow automated formatting of a traditional print text with traditional and familiar critical apparatus from a Single Source Document.
7. Provide a generic web-viewing platform that can display all transcriptions from a Single Source Document with traditional and non-traditional critical apparatus and apparatus fontium.
8. Allow instant views of manuscript witnesses along side text for comparison and consultation.
9. Allow on demand collation of user selected base witnesses.
10. Offer a system where corpus connections can be automatically discovered and displayed as new editions and transcriptions are added.
11. Provide automated statistical analysis, customizable to unique queries. Be able to refine queries to time periods or select authors (e.g. Franciscan, Dominican). Be able to restrict queries to different parts of a text (e.g. distinction 1) throughout the entire corpus.
1. Allow anyone, anywhere, to view any manuscript witness in a single well made viewer without having to download or transfer files
2. Enable researchers to quickly determine whether or not a transcription has been started.
3. Allow anyone anywhere, novice or expert, to begin transcribing a text, identifying references, connections, and relationships. IN SHORT: To facilitate collaboration rather than competition between editors
4. Immediately and automatically incorporate those transcriptions (in progress or completed) into the larger corpus.
5. Expose data so that it can be consumed by multiple viewing interfaces. Destroy data silos.
6. Allow automated formatting of a traditional print text with traditional and familiar critical apparatus from a Single Source Document.
7. Provide a generic web-viewing platform that can display all transcriptions from a Single Source Document with traditional and non-traditional critical apparatus and apparatus fontium.
8. Allow instant views of manuscript witnesses alongside text for comparison and consultation
9. Allow on demand collation of user selected base witnesses
10. Offer a system where corpus connections can be automatically discovered and displayed as new editions and transcriptions are added.
11. Provide automated statistical analysis, customizable to unique queries. Be able to refine queries to time periods or select authors (e.g. Franciscan, Dominican). Be able to restrict queries to different parts of a text (e.g. distinction 1) throughout the entire corpus.
Questions, Thoughts, Comments?
