Responsible and Sustainable Editing: A Lifecycle for Digital Editions of Historical Travelogues (DEHisRe)

1. Introduction

The DFG-founded project "Digital Editions of Historical Travelogues" (DEHisRe) develops a research infrastructure for the digital transcription, annotation, and visualization of historical travel accounts. In addition, we are examining ontology concepts for travel accounts and travel routes (Balck et al. 2023).

As a case study, we are using the handwritten travel records of Franz Xaver Bronner (1758-1850), a German migrant who traveled to Kazan on the Volga in 1810 from Aarau in Switzerland and returned from Russia in 1817 (Beyer-Thoma 2017).

By incorporating the best practices in the field, we are presenting a six-step lifecycle of digital editing. This circular workflow is based on an iterative process and is aligned with the "Lifecycle of Historical Information" (Boonstra et al. 2004; Meroño-Peñuela et al. 2014) while aiming to benefit sustainable digital editions of historical travelogues.

2. Six-Step Lifecycle of Digital Editing

The circular workflow starts with the digitization and transcription (1) of the texts to be edited, followed by the modeling and annotation (2 & 3) of data contained in the text. The processed data provides answers to complex information queries (4) and enables their analysis (5). Visualization (6) creates a new access to the texts, opening different perspectives. New research questions can trigger another iteration of the lifecycle. (Fig. 1)

Step 1: Creating  

Creating includes the digitization and transcription of historical sources. It begins with the selection of documents to be digitized, followed by digitization and subsequent manual transcription or automated text recognition using appropriate tools. The goal of this step is to create a digital copy of the original, which forms the basis for the following steps and supports the preservation of cultural heritage. ¹

Step 2: Modeling  

During the step of data modeling, the digitized document is structured and enriched. It includes defining relationships between data, categorizing information, and creating schemas. We use a data model based on the TEI guidelines (TEI 2019) and the DTA Base Format (DTABf) (Haaf et al. 2014). These open standards allow lossless data exchange, the merging of information from different sources, and the reuse of data for extended analyses. For ontological modeling, we apply CIDOC-CRM. ²

Step 3: Editing  

The editing step enriches the texts using the previously created data models. The digitized texts are corrected, annotated, and provided with metadata. Methods like NER and ontological annotation are employed. The dates were semi-automatically annotated with existing software modified to suit the specifics of the case study (Möhrke 2023). ³ Additional information is outsourced to registers. ⁴

Step 4: Information Retrieval  

This step involves developing systems and algorithms to retrieve relevant information from large data sets. In our case study XSLT and XQuery are primarily used. This step is crucial for the accessibility and usability of the data.  

Step 5: Analysis  

In the analysis step, digitized and edited data are examined to extract insights. This can encompass various types of data analysis, including textual, network, spatiotemporal, or statistical evaluation.  The goal is to identify patterns, trends, or relationships within the data, potentially leading to new research questions that restart the lifecycle. ⁵

Step 6: Presentation  

This step involves presenting and disseminating the results by publishing digital editions, creating visualizations, or developing user interfaces for databases. Modeling in established formats allows visualization in various tools and linking with other digital editions. Presentation can be delivered through digital platforms, web applications, or traditional print publications.  

3. Conclusion

In the context of digital editions, sustainable editing is primarily considered in terms of reusability and long-term availability (Crompton 2023). ⁶ The six-step lifecycle we present adds value to responsible and sustainable editing in two ways: by consistently implementing established standards, and by integrating it into a workflow that efficiently utilizes and reuses data.

It helps create digital resources from historical sources, providing deeper insights and new research opportunities. Each step contributes to the digital transformation of historical information, maximizing its value for research and teaching while ensuring compliance with the FAIR principles. The iterative nature of the project emphasizes continuous improvement of digital editions, with transparent documentation ensuring data and pipeline reusability. Continuous refinement through case-by-case replication enhances the quality and usability of digital resources, providing sustainable practical guidance for innovative DH approaches along with responsible action.