Making Connections: The Semantic Web for Humanities Scholars

Dates: 14th-17th May 2024

This modular workshop offers both a conceptual overview of Linked Open Data (LOD), a set of standards and practices that allow data to contribute to the Semantic Web, and a series of modules that will introduce participants to working with LOD, from workflows for data cleaning, creation, and publication to interacting with LOD through various interfaces for browsing, querying, and visualization. An initial introduction will cover how LOD works in theory and practice, and provide an overview of various projects and interactive tools. This introduction will be followed by modular sessions focused on various aspects of LOD creation and use, many featuring tools and workflows supported or hosted by the Linked Infrastructure for Networked Cultural Scholarship. The modular sessions will allow participants to focus on areas of interest or need, including ones related specifically to creating LOD from structured data (spreadsheets/databases), XML including TEI, and natural language, led by members of the LINCS team.

Those desiring a broad introduction to LOD and the Semantic Web, as well as those wishing to work with LINCS tools or preparing data for publication through LINCS, will benefit from this workshop. Sample data will be provided for those without their own datasets. If you plan to bring your own data, please be in touch with instructors in advance. Attention will be given throughout to scholarly perspectives on Linked Open Data and the challenges and opportunities it poses for humanities scholars as far as modeling, context, nuance, and honouring difference and specificity are concerned.  

Topics include: Introduction to LOD fundamentals, projects, and tools; ontologies and vocabularies; data preparation, cleanup, and reconciliation; getting going with the SPARQL query language; exploring, refining, and creating data in ResearchSpace; exporting LOD to other tools; structured data conversion with X3ML; from TEI to LOD with XTriples and the LEAF-Writer XML editor; and how LINCS can create LOD from content in the Canadian Writing Research Collaboratory and other instances of LEAF (The Linked Editing Academic Environment).

Instructors: Members of the LINCS Team