Web Science and Digital Libraries Research Group

  Sometimes, all it takes is a trip to Norway to confirm that everything is connected. From June 2 to June 11, I traveled with my faculty advisors from Storymodelers to Kristiansand, Norway, to participate in a workshop on the use of modeling as a method for teaching and learning. This workshop was part of an ongoing project at the University of Agder  titled "Modeling for Histories", which is currently in the early stages of testing and has not yet been publicly disseminated. The project is led by Dr. Apostolos Spanos (University of Agder) in collaboration with Dr. Alexandra Lazareva (University of Agder), Dr. Jose J. Padilla ( Old Dominion University ) and Dr. Erika Frydenlund (Old Dominion University). The goal is to explore how model thinking can support history education by helping students move beyond traditional linear narratives and develop a deeper understanding of complex relationships, actors, and processes that shape historical events. This blog is a summary ...

Traditionally, historians have relied on conventional methods to uncover the details of our past. These methods include qualitative text analysis, translations, and transliterations, among other approaches. Such techniques have been essential for understanding historical events, cultures, and societies. However, the advent of digital tools and methodologies has significantly transformed the field, enabling more detailed analysis and visualization of historical data. New techniques, such as mapping and spatial analysis software, social network analysis tools, and digital databases, have not only facilitated the efficient storage and access to large volumes of information but also allowed historians to explore historical mobilities—meaning the movement of people and communities, as well as societal changes across different regions and time periods. The workshop “ Digital Methods for the Study of Mobilities ,” held  June 25-26, 2024, at the higher education and research institution IN...

On January 18-19, 2024, the workshop on Digital Humanities and the Study of Mediterranean Mobilities was held for the first time. This event took place at the University of California, Berkeley and allowed attendees to join via Zoom. The workshop was held as part of the IstanΠόλις Collaborative , a collaborative public and digital humanities project aimed at the reconstruction and analysis of Greek Orthodox communities in the broader context of late Ottoman Istanbul/Constantinople (1821-1923). Linked researchers and those collaborating with the project presented their research progress so far. As a member of Storymodelers Lab and the Web Science and Digital Libraries (WS-DL) research group, I had the opportunity to participate and present my analysis of historical data from the Ottoman Empire on a dataset provided by Berkeley historians. This was a presentation that took place as part of the collaboration between the Storymodelers lab , led by Dr. Erika Frydenlund and Dr. Jose Pad...