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The contemporary focus on the 'data problem' in the humanities centers on the uniqueness of humanities data. We argue this is a mistake. Humanities data are not special because of what they are, but rather because of how they are used. The "problem" with Humanities data lies in the use-case.

Power point presentation from the FSCI2022 Keynote,: "Designing New Collaborative Horizons in Scholarly Communications." Abstract: "How do we design new ways to engage with and enhance the collaborative impact of scholarship now? The field of scholarly communications is increasingly framed by its potential to shape the social impact of scholarship. We find, for example, the centrality of scholarly communication in efforts to curb the parallel ‘infodemic’ or information disorder that has accompanied the multiple and ongoing Covid-19 health emergencies. We also find it in the centrality of research dissemination and use with regard to the cascading crisis of climate change, and the slow emergency of preserving cultural memory under conditions of rapid ecological change. In this talk, I explore the organization of scholarly communications as a field of collaboration and the tensions and possibilities this poses for addressing or enhancing social impact. The scholarly communications ecosystem is organized through interprofessional collaborations across multiple forms of expertise, as well as increasingly intensive collaborative engagement with social and cultural stakeholders. Towards new horizons of collaborative design, I highlight several models for organizing collaboration in scholarly communications, and some recent examples of initiatives that mobilize collaborative change processes."

Presentation made as part of a workshop at the DH2022 Tokyo conference

This poster provides a snapshot of the Humanities Data Inquiry (HDI), a new community of practice exploring data issues in Humanities and Cultural Heritage (HCH) research. The last decade has seen great advances in the development of infrastructure, tools, and principles for the collection, storage, discovery, and dissemination of research data, and investment in a robust and rapidly emerging Open and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) research data ecosystem. While Humanities and Cultural Heritage (HCH) researchers and projects are encouraged to engage with this evolving research data ecosystem, the fit is often poor as this ecosystem is largely built with the needs of "Big Data" Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in mind. Where Big Data STEM typically involves large datasets produced through experiment, observation, or analysis, "Small Data" HCH research often involves deep analysis and intensive curation of relatively small data sets — particularly when it comes to datasets focused on the representation of cultural texts and objects, such as editions and exhibits. Outlining the basic problems associated with data in HCH and Open Science infrastructure frameworks, this poster describes in overview how HDI is creating a space for community engagement and input through thoughtful, bidirectional communication among grass-roots researchers and between grass-roots researchers and the organizations responsible for creating and supporting the Open and FAIR ecosystem. Finally, the poster presents areas of future development and pathways for future involvement in the community of practice as well as the program’s expected outcomes. &nbsp

Additional file 1. Online Supplement Description: Further description of RISRS workshops and excerpts from 2 surveys of workshop participants.