oa Digital humanities: als een fraai essay

The digital humanities: like a witty essay

While digital approaches to research in the humanities have greatly increased in the last decades, many scholars rightly criticize the lack of knowledge their peers have of the methods and tools they are applying. Most importantly, there is a concern as to how the digital dimension is affecting the humanities as a field in general. In this essay I argue that, when used responsibly, digital methods and tools are hugely attractive for widening the scope of our research topics, for collaboration, and for sharing our knowledge with a broader public. These possibilities can have long-term repercussions in workflow practices, but do not imply the undermining of the fundaments of the humanities as a study area. The digital humanities work like a witty essay: they stimulate critical thinking, expand our horizons, and open up fundamental debates.