Triggering A Renaissance in Historical Textual Studies in Turcology: Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) and the Initial Standardised Ottoman Mathematics Text

Abstract

This article seeks to answer a critical question about the impact of digital transformation, which global technological and digital developments have made a necessity, on historical textual studies in Turcology. The article draws attention to the need for digital transformation in historical textual studies and the lack of literature on the use of TEI in Turcology. The research considers historical textual studies as an object of digital cultural heritage, digital humanities, and digital scholarship. It is evaluated through the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) standard. The aim is to establish a symbiotic relationship between historical textual studies and the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) and offer a new perspective on the latest digital environment for studying Turkish manuscripts and the future of this research. It also explains how manuscripts (especially in the Ottoman field) should be encoded at TEI to enable interdisciplinary cooperation in digital editions. A case study of an 18th-century Ottoman mathematical text was encoded in TEI, and the process is explained in detail for those working in Turcology and those who want to do text editions with this method. The article's results are shared with the reader by presenting a Github link. These results constitute a new source for the international literature on digital encoding of historical texts and set standards for digital text editions to be used in historical text studies in Turcology. In this way, it aims to trigger a renaissance promoting the use of TEI in historical textual studies and to take the first step towards its eventual transformation into a renewed field of research.

Keywords

• Text Encoding Initiative (TEI)
• Digital Historical Text Editions,
• Marhematics
• Ottoman Turkish
• Digital Ottoman Studies
• Digital Turcology and Cultural Heritage

Türkoloji’deki Tarihi Metin Çalışmalarında Bir Rönesansı Tetiklemek: Metin Kodlama Girişimi (TEI) ve İlk Standartlaştırılmış Osmanlı Matematik Metni

Öz

Bu makale, küresel teknolojik ve dijital gelişmelerin bir zorunluluk haline getirdiği dijital dönüşümün Türkoloji’dekitarihî metin çalışmalarına etkisine dair eleştirel bir soruya cevap aramaktadır. Makale, tarihî metin çalışmalarında dijital dönüşüme duyulan ihtiyaca ve Türkoloji’de TEI kullanımına ilişkin literatür eksikliğine dikkat çekmektedir. Araştırma, tarihsel metin çalışmalarını dijital kültürel miras (digital cultural heritage), dijital beşerî bilimler (digital humanities) ve dijital akademik araştırmaların (digital scholarships) bir nesnesi olarak ele almakta ve Metin Kodlama Girişimi (TEI) standardı üzerinden değerlendirmektedir. Amaç, tarihsel metin çalışmaları ile Metin Kodlama Girişimi (TEI) arasında simbiyotik bir ilişki kurmak ve Türkçe el yazmalarını incelemek için en son dijital ortam ve bu araştırmanın geleceği hakkında yeni bir bakış açısı sunmaktır. Ayrıca el yazmalarının (özellikle Osmanlı sahasında) dijital neşirlerde disiplinlerarası iş birliğinin sağlanması için TEI’da nasıl kodlanması gerektiğine dair bir bilgi akışı sunmaktadır. Bu amaçla bir 18. yüzyıl Osmanlı matematik metni TEI’da kodlanmış ve Türkoloji sahasında çalışanlar ve bu yöntemle metin neşri yapmak isteyenler için süreç ayrıntılı olarak açıklanmıştır. Makalenin sonuçları, Github linki sunularak okuyucuyla paylaşılmıştır. Bu sonuçlar, tarihi metinlerin dijital kodlanması konusunda uluslararası literatüre yeni bir kaynak oluşturmakta ve Türkoloji’deki tarihi metin çalışmalarında kullanılacak dijital metin neşirleri için standartlar belirlemektedir. Böylelikle, tarihi metin çalışmalarında TEI kullanımını teşvik eden bir rönesansı tetiklemeyi ve nihai olarak yenilenmiş bir araştırma alanına dönüşmesi için ilk adımı atmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Metin Kdlama Girişimi (TEI)
• Dijital Tarihsel Metin Neşri
• Matematik
• Osmanlı Türkçesi
• Dijital Osmanlı Çalışmaları
• Dijital Türkoloji ve Kültürel Miras

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