June 2015
Debates in the Digital Humanities. A new book series from the University of Minessota Press.
In the three years since Debates in the Digital Humanities was first published by the University of Minnesota Press, debates in and around the digital humanities (DH) have continued to grow. Scholars now anchor major research projects in digital methods; institutions have reorganized, both structurally and financially, to make room for DH programs; and scholars and institutions alike have turned outwards, advocating for the digital humanities on a global stage. At the same time, a number of critiques have forced the field to expand its scope, accounting for more diverse practices and perspectives.
In this context, the new book series Debates in the Digital Humanities brings together leading figures in the field to explore its theories, methods, and practices and to clarify its multiple possibilities and tensions. By identifying ideas and discussions as they emerge, and by providing a platform through which conversations can unfold and be preserved, the series will highlight key tensions that are shaping the field.
From defining what a digital humanist is and determining whether the field has (or needs) theoretical grounding, to discussions of coding as scholarship and trends in data-driven research, this cutting-edge volume delineates the current state of the digital humanities and envisions potential futures and challenges. At the same time, several essays aim pointed critiques at the field for its lack of attention to race, gender, class, and sexuality; the inadequate level of diversity among its practitioners; its absence of political commitment; and its preference for research over teaching.
The series will have two major components: the Debates in the Digital Humanities Annual, which will highlight conversations that have influenced the field during a given year, and books on special topics that warrant more focused and extended discussion.
Like the original Debates volume, which was published both in print and online through an open-access interactive web platform, the Debates in the Digital Humanities Series will continue to experiment with hybrid forms of publishing. After undergoing multiple processes of peer review, essays will be published first on the open-access interactive book platform located at http://dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu and subsequently anthologized in the Debates in the Digital Humanities Annual, which will be published in print, e-book, and serial form. Special guest-edited volumes will be published simultaneously on the OA platform with print, e-book, and serial formats.
The series will continue to include the kinds of short-form pieces, such as blog posts and twitter compilations, which appeared in the first volume. Taken together, these features will address the core challenge of publishing today: attending to the increasing pace of scholarly conversation at a time when the gap between print and digital continues to grow, while also acknowledging the continuing value of print publication. In both form and process, Debates in the Digital Humanities will model a hybrid scholarly publishing process that takes account of networked forms of scholarly communication.
The first annual anthology, Debates in the Digital Humanities 2015, will be released to coincide with MLA 2016 and will feature fifteen new essays by scholars and practitioners across the disciplines.
Proposals for individual essay contributions or for future special volumes should be addressed to the series editor, Matthew K. Gold (mgold@gc.cuny.edu) and associate editor, Lauren Klein (lauren.klein@lmc.gatech.edu). For future announcements and news about the series, see http://dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu/news and the twitter hashtag #dhdebates.
Source: Debates in the Digital Humanities website
