The Virtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Abstract

This paper presents the goals and theoretical underpinning of a new programme in e- humanities and e-social science in the Netherlands. Recent transformations in commu- nication and information exchange have created new opportunities for researchers in the humanities and social sciences. It is not self-evident, however, in what ways scholars can best use these possibilities while maintaining and further developing their specifi c roles in academia and society. This is the rationale of a new research programme in the Neth- erlands, The Virtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities and Social Sciences, hosted by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. It aims to support researchers in the so- cial sciences and humanities in the creation of new scholarly practices, termed e-research, as well as in their refl ection on e-research in relation to the development of their fi elds. A core feature of the Virtual Knowledge Studio is the integration of design and analysis in a close cooperation between social scientists, humanities researchers, information technol- ogy experts and information scientists. This integrated approach should provide insight in the way e-research can contribute to new research questions and methods in the humani- ties and social sciences.