Text encoder and annotator: An all-in-one editor for transcribing and annotating manuscripts with RDF

Abstract

In the context of the digitization of manuscripts, transcription and annotation are often distinct, sequential steps. This could lead to difficulties in improving the transcribed text when annotations have already been defined. In order to avoid this, we devised an approach which merges the two steps into the same process. Text Encoder and Annotator (TEA) is a prototype application embracing this concept. TEA is based on a lightweight language syntax which annotates text using Semantic Web technologies. Our approach is currently being developed within the Clavius on the Web project, devoted to studying the manuscripts of Christophorus Clavius, an influential 16th century mathematician and astronomer.