Hannah Baker
Former User Engagement Director , Europeana Foundation
Alba Irollo
Research Coordinator , Europeana Foundation
With the Europeana Initiative at the heart of the common European data space for cultural heritage, Europeana Research asks: what is a dataset to you? Find out why and how you can share your thoughts!
Through the work of Europeana Research, the Europeana Initiative connects the cultural heritage sector with academia, supporting heritage professionals to work with those who are interested in digital cultural heritage for university teaching and learning or research. In the context of the common European data space for cultural heritage, we see new opportunities to further develop our offer for academic and research communities.
One particular opportunity can be found in datasets created from cultural heritage data by cultural heritage institutions and users. While we are already working together with DARIAH (Digital Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities), one of our data space consortium partners, to facilitate dataset-level access and reuse, we recognise not all users have the same needs.
Therefore, we would like to consult those who already reuse cultural heritage data through digital methods and tools about their experiences, starting with a simple question: what is a dataset to you?
Think about a recent scenario where you needed to use cultural heritage data. Ask yourself:
What sort of data structure did you prefer?
What sort of information did you need or want about the dataset?
What kinds of digital cultural heritage objects were part of your dataset?
Who created the dataset (you or someone else, e.g. a cultural heritage institution)?
How large was the dataset? How typical is this for datasets that you have used in the past? How large do you imagine you could ever need them to be?
When you were using that dataset, what made your research or teaching activities easier?
What, if any, obstacle did you encounter in trying to reuse that dataset?
Whether you are a staff member teaching at a university, a researcher, a university student, or a cultural heritage domain expert supporting research or educational use of digital cultural heritage, we want to hear from you!
Please share your answers to the questions above, and specify in what context you use datasets (for example, your academic field, your research interests, or your university teaching activities). And, of course, tell us if you have already used Europeana data!
Please share your experience in up to 250 words by Tuesday 12 May 2023 by emailing research@europeana.eu.
UPDATE: This deadline has now been extended to Friday 30 June 2023.
