HisQu

Within the framework of the funding programme „e-Research-Technologien“, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) has approved the project „Forschungsdateninfrastruktur Historische Quellen“ - HisQu (Research Data Infrastructure „historical sources“) to be jointly realised by Germania Sacra and its project partners, the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the German Historical Institute in Rome, and the Gotha Research Centre of the University of Erfurt.

Running time: 01.01.2025 – 31.12.2027

Aims

The project „Forschungsdateninfrastruktur Historische Quellen“ (HisQu) aims at developing a domain-specific toolkit to enable the ontology-based semantic indexing of heterogeneous and semi-structured textual sources (particularly regesta). HisQu is designed for free use by research groups, individual scholars, and interested users, with the intent of facilitating digital-based collaboration in the field of historical research. HisQu provides a set of tools covering all aspects of the research data cycle from generation and storage to processing and analysis. Using computer-linguistics-based methods (deep learning and pattern recognition as well as domain-specific grammar), text resources will be semantically processed. A semantic-web-compatible data model based on subject-specific terminology and top-level ontologies will be developed for generating knowledge graphs. As a data storage model, we are evaluating the suitability of a domain-specific Wikibase entity. Finally, flexible and adaptable user interfaces will be designed to facilitate the processing and expansion of data collections and to access knowledge graphs with individually configurable queries. The system architecture guarantees that the processes of research and data accumulation remain traceable. We are developing HisQu on the basis of an exemplary body of source material for the history of late-medieval church history, the Repertorium Germanicum (RG), which is to date insufficiently digitally accessible. In a series of technical case studies, we will follow the development process of HisQu and validate its practicability.

Project Applicants

Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Arbeitsgruppe MEPHisto – Modelle, Erklärungen und Prozesse in den historischen Wissenschaften: Prof. Dr Clemens Beckstein, Apl. Prof. Dr Robert Gramsch-Stehfest

Niedersächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Germania Sacra: Prof. Dr Hedwig Röckelein

Deutsches Historisches Institut Rom, Repertorium Germanicum: Prof. Dr Martin Baumeister

Forschungszentrum Gotha der Universität Erfurt, FactGrid: Prof. Dr Martin Mulsow