Cultural Heritage Collections as Data

Year 2023, Volume: 37 Issue: 3, 191 - 214, 30.09.2023

Meltem Dişli , Yaşar Tonta

https://doi.org/10.24146/tk.1317445

Abstract

Purpose: In today’s digital humanities research, the main data/information sources used by researchers are collections consisting of digitized documents and data with high resolution, along with machine-readable and actionable metadata associated with these collections. The purpose of this research is to determine the needs and expectations of digital humanities researchers for “collections as data” and to find out to what extent cultural memory institutions meet these needs and expectations.

Method: Qualitative methods were used within the scope of the research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 digital humanities researchers and 16 representatives of cultural memory institutions. The researchers and the representatives of the institutions were asked 20 and 23 questions, respectively, and all interview records were transcribed and their contents were analyzed using MaxQDA, a qualitative data analysis software.

Findings: Researchers need access to collections as datasets in machine-readable and machine-actionable formats. While there are a few institutions that can share their collections through protocols or upon request, no institution has yet made their collections available in machine-readable and actionable formats suitable for computational access. To convert their collections, institutions need qualified staff, budget, technical infrastructure, administrative support, cooperation, time, and guidelines.

Implications: In order for institutions to organize metadata, digitize collections, and make them accessible to researchers as collections as data, they should create awareness in this regard, receive technical, administrative and financial support, and train qualified personnel.

Originality: This study is the first of its kind that identifies the needs, expectations, and barriers regarding the “collections as data” service in Turkey from the perspectives of researchers and cultural memory institutions.

Keywords

Collections as data, cultural heritage, digital humanities, computational access

Veri Olarak Kültürel Miras Koleksiyonları

Abstract

Amaç: Günümüzde dijital insani bilimler araştırmalarında kullanılan ana veri/bilgi kaynakları dijital ortama aktarılmış çözünürlüğü yüksek belgeler ve verilerden oluşan koleksiyonlar ile bu koleksiyonlara ait makinece okunabilir ve işlem yapılabilir üstverilerdir. Bu araştırmanın amacı dijital insani bilimler araştırmacılarının “veri olarak koleksiyonlara” yönelik ihtiyaç ve beklentilerini ve kültürel bellek kurumlarının bu ihtiyaç ve beklentileri ne ölçüde karşıladıklarını saptamaktır.

Yöntem: Araştırma kapsamında nitel yöntemler kullanılmış, 10 dijital insani bilimler araştırmacısı ve 16 kültürel bellek kurumu temsilcisi ile yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmacılara 20, kurum temsilcilerine 23 soru sorulmuş, tüm görüşme kayıtları çözümlenmiş (transkribe edilmiş) ve MaxQDA nitel veri analiz yazılımı aracılığıyla görüşme kayıtlarının içerik analizi yapılmıştır.

Bulgular: Araştırmacılar koleksiyonlara makinece okunabilir ve işlem yapılabilir formatlarda veri setleri halinde erişmeye ihtiyaç duymaktadırlar. Protokol karşılığında veya talep olduğunda koleksiyonlarını bu şekilde paylaşabilecek az sayıda kurum olsa da henüz hiçbir kurum makinece okunabilir formatlarda ve bilişimsel erişime uygun biçimde dijital koleksiyonlarını hizmete açmamıştır. Kurumların koleksiyonlarını dönüştürmek için nitelikli personele, bütçeye, teknik altyapıya, yönetim desteğine, işbirliğine, zamana ve konuya ilişkin bir rehbere ihtiyaçları bulunmaktadır.

Sonuç: Kurumlar, üstverileri düzenlemek, koleksiyonları dijitalleştirmek ve bu koleksiyonları veri olarak koleksiyon yaklaşımına uygun olarak araştırmacıların erişimine açmak için bu konuda farkındalık oluşturmalı, teknik, idari ve maddi yönlerden desteklenmeli ve nitelikli personel yetiştirmelidir.

Özgünlük: Bu çalışma hem araştırmacıların hem de kültürel bellek kurumlarının bakış açılarından Türkiye’de veri olarak koleksiyonlar hizmetine yönelik gereksinimleri, beklentileri ve engelleri saptayan ilk araştırmadır.

Keywords

Veri olarak koleksiyonlar, kültürel miras, dijital insani bilimler, bilişimsel erişim

Thanks

Bu araştırmaya yaptıkları değerli katkılar için görüştüğümüz dijital insani bilimler araştırmacılarına ve kurum temsilcilerine teşekkür ederiz.

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