[Please note: all submissions and correspondence concerning the conference
should be addressed to Andrew Prescott, [log in to unmask]]


CALL FOR PAPERS: DRH2001 - DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 24 FEBRUARY

The DRH conferences

The annual Digital Resources for the Humanities conference is the major
forum for all those involved in, and affected by, the digitization of our
cultural heritage: the scholar creating or using an electronic resource to
further research; the teacher gathering Web resources into an online
learning environment; the publisher or broadcaster integrating print or
analogue with the digital to reach new audiences; the librarian, curator
or archivist wishing to improve both access to and conservation of the
digital information that characterizes contemporary culture and
scholarship; the computer or information scientist seeking to apply new
developments to the creation, exploitation and management of humanities
resources. A volume of select papers from the conferences is published
annually.

DRH 2001

DRH 2001 will be held at the School of Oriental and African Studies,
University of London, Malet Street, London WC1 from 8-10 July 2001. Format
The academic programme of the conference will comprise academic papers,
panel discussions, and poster presentations. An exhibition of products and
services of interest to participants will form an important part of the
conference. The conference is known for its friendly atmosphere and
welcomes developers and users of digital resources from, amongst others,
universities, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, broadcasters,
publishers and community groups. The conference social programme will, we
hope, encourage informal discussion and the chance to make lasting
contacts between members of the different groups represented.

Themes

The Conference Programme Committee seeks proposals for papers, panel
sessions and posters relating to the creation and use of digital resources
in all aspects of work in the humanities. Prospective speakers are asked
to bear in mind the following points: - Paper and session proposals should
seek to develop themes and intellectual approaches which will be of
interest and relevance across the subject domain; it is not sufficient
simply to outline recent work on an individual project. Papers should take
account of, and seek to address, strategic themes across the subject
domain. Preference will be given to papers which outline innovative
technical approaches or explore subject areas which have been generally
neglected by the humanities computing community. Areas on which DRH
conferences have particularly concentrated in the past have included the
creation of digital resources, providing access to digital projects, and
digital preservation. The Conference Programme Committee from DRH 2001
will particularly also welcome proposals which relate to the following
themes:

Visualisation of data: the use of graphical interfaces, GIS and other
techniques for the exploration of data sets. What are the major issues for
the use of these technologies by humanities scholars? What new insights do
they offer for those working in the humanities?

A managed digital environment: How far and in what ways do the initiatives
to knit together, coordinate and develop existing initiatives for the
creation of digital resources address the needs of humanities researchers?
What shape should the future digital humanities environment be? How can
digital initiatives be used to create new communities and to support
initiatives to consolidate such communities (as, for example, in the use
of digital technologies in support of an e-Europe)?

Diversity and multi-culturalism: How can the creation and dissemination of
digital resources in the humanities help to underpin and further a
multi-cultural society? What are the major issues in creating and
accessing digital resources for different groups in society? What
technical issues affect the use of digital resources to further a policy
of social inclusiveness? How can network technologies be used to support
community programmes?

World Wide access: How can the development of humanities digital resources
support the creation of genuinely international access to the new
e-culture? How can digital technologies suport the work of humanities
scholars working on subjects connected with Asia and Africa?

Convergence: How will the anticipated convergence between televisual,
comunication and computing media affect research in the humanities? What
new opportunities does it offer?

Submitting Proposals

The deadline for submitting proposals is 24 February 2001 and
notifications of acceptance will be sent out by 30 March 2001. Please note
that all participants in the conference, including speakers, are expected
to pay their own conference and accommodation costs. We hope, however, to
offer a limited number of bursaries covering the conference fee for
certain categories of participant. All proposals will be reviewed by at
least two referees with relevant expertise. The final decision on
acceptance into the conference programme rests with the Programme
Committee.

For all type of proposal, authors are encouraged to provide a clear
overview of the work to be presented; state how the proposal relates to
the themes of the conference; outline any original or innovative methods,
technical solutions or conclusions; outline the demonstrable value of the
work to the broad humanities community. All proposals should be submitted
in English. All proposals should include full name, institutional
affiliation, postal address, telephone, fax and e-mail details for all
participants. All abstracts will be printed in the conference book of
abstracts.

Papers: We invite proposals for conference papers lasting no more than 20
minutes.  Proposals should be between 750 and 1,000 words. Papers will be
grouped into sessions of three papers. You are welcome to propose a
session of three papers relating to a specific theme. In this case,
session organisers should provide a clear description (c.250 words) of how
the papers relate to each other, in addition to the three abstracts.
Please note that all proposals for papers, whether individual submissions
or part of a themed session, will be independently reviewed.

Themed Panel Sessions: We invite proposals for themed panel sessions
lasting no more than 90 minutes. Proposals should be between 1,000-1,500
words. The panel organiser should include details of the individuals or
organisations who have agreed to form the panel. Panel sessions are
intended to provide a forum for discussion of a specific theme or issue,
introduced by panel members.

Posters: We invite proposals for posters. Proposals should be between 750
and 1,000 words. Posters provide the opportunity for a visual, rather than
oral, presentation of work within an informal atmosphere. Posters will be
on display throughout the conference in a prominent area. Posters should
not include software demonstrations. Where a software demonstration is
required, the proposer should apply to be an exhibitor at the academic
rate.

Please forward all proposals and abstracts to the Chair of the Programme
Committee, Professor Andrew Prescott, University of Sheffield
([log in to unmask]).

Conference Publications: A book of abstracts, containing the revised
versions of all accepted papers, panel sessions and posters, will be
provided to all conference delegates.  These abstracts will also be
published on the conference web site. A volume of Selected Papers will be
published following the conference. Everyone who presents a paper at the
conference will be invited to submit a full version of their paper for
consideration for the publication.

Organisation: The Programme Committee, which has responsibility for the
academic programme of the conference, is chaired by Professor Andrew
Prescott of the Humanities Research Institute, University of Sheffield. A
list of the programme committee will shortly be posted on the DRH website
(www.drh.org.uk).

Call for hosts for DRH 2003

The DRH Standing Committee warmly invites proposals to host the DRH
conference in 2003 Prospective applicants should refer to the conference
Protocol and to other information on the DRH web site.  Colleagues wishing
to host the conference should write in the first instance to the Chair of
the Standing Committee, Dr Marilyn Deegan, at [log in to unmask]

AHC Strand

The 1999 DRH conference, at King's College London, was held in conjunction
with the annual conference of the Association for History and Computing
(UK).  DRH 2001 will follow this very successful experience by including a
substantial AHC strand of sessions, lasting for at least one day.  The AHC
strand will represent a conference within a conference, in which AHC
members will have an opportunity to give and to hear papers on historical
computing, while benefiting from cross-fertilisation with other humanists
with similar interests.  Proposals for papers in the AHC strand will be
sent to the AHC (UK) committee, who will arrange for them to be refereed.


The AHC's aims are to promote and develop interest in the use of computers
in all types of historical study at every level, in both teaching and
research.  Recent years have seen the Association move from its
traditional emphasis upon quantitative methods and database management to
greater concern with such issues as digitisation, Web-based publication,
teaching and learning with digital resources, and improving access to
digital resources and archival holdings.  The AHC invites papers on these
and other aspects of the application of computers, whether for research,
teaching or archives.  In line with the rest of the DRH conference,
African and oriental topics are particularly welcome, but papers may be
submitted on any historical topic.

___________________________________________________________________
Andrew Prescott
Humanities Research Institute
Floor 14, Arts Tower
University of Sheffield
Sheffield S10 2TN

[log in to unmask]

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