Syllabus
The course program is organized into six teaching sessions, each comprising two standard-length classes. Each session represents one consistent thematic/methodological bloc, split into conceptual parts, practical training, and an introduction to basic programming concepts. Each class is accompanied by a compulsory reading of (one or two journal articles) to represent best practices in research application and leads into an individual homework assignment for the off week.
1. Introduction to fundamentals of computational science and computer operationvariables
2. From sources to data - working with text and XMLdata inputs and outputs
3. Processing images and soundconditions, basics of computational logic A. Midterm research design seminar
4. Databases and SQL filtering loops and iterations
5. Qualitative coding as the basis of text analysisdata frames
6. GIS - Geographic information systems Object-oriented programming B. Final research design presentation
Annotation
The usage of computer-aided analysis of textual sources has been a natural accompaniment of computer technology proliferation since the early 1950s. As computer software and hardware became widely accessible to even non-expert users, Digital Humanities (along with other analogical monikers) experienced rapid growth during the last 30 years.
If we consider the ever-growing hardware capacity, digital shifts in all of the social sciences and humanities fields, and the all-encompassing interconnectivity of the internet age, it is only logical, that formerly niche-expertize has slowly turned into standard skill or even requirements for the research practice. The rapid development and spread of AI-assisted user and research performance only hastened and deepened the ever-growing pressure on the digitalization of academia.
This course ameliorates this situation by offering low-threshold, entry-level access to knowledge and skillsets important for further and deeper exploration of the matter.