Digital Humanities by Practice

Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary subject area that brings a range of computational, quantitative and other innovative and collaborative methods to the study of texts, images, histories, languages and cultures, while also being critical about methodology, disciplinarity and pedagogy.

The Digital Humanities Research Hub at the School of Advanced Study provides a unique academic community for pursuing doctoral research. The Hub’s multidisciplinary team comprises academics with strong connections to subject areas including Classics, English, History and Modern Languages and Cultures, as well as researchers and practitioners with technical backgrounds. With strong connections to leading cultural heritage organisations and national and international digital humanities organisations, the Hub provides excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary research and professional development.

The PhD by Practice offers a distinctive opportunity to conduct doctoral research by developing a body of creative work coupled with a written critical component. Unlike a traditional PhD, this programme allows students to be assessed on the creative output of their research in addition to a shorter written thesis. For example, a student could produce an exhibition (physical or virtual), digital prototype(s) or demonstrator(s), a body of code, a database, data visualisations, or an art installation.

With guidance from our expert supervisors, you'll carry out extensive independent research culminating in a substantial digital output that provides new research insight, demonstrates creative originality and makes a meaningful academic contribution to your chosen field. This project will be accompanied by a written thesis of up to 30,000 words.

This degree presents the opportunity to gain expertise in your area of interest while honing a professional and creative practice. You will have the opportunity to develop a range of critical, technical and creative skills that can be easily transferred to multiple professional contexts. The PhD by Practice will prepare you for specialist career paths in universities, cultural heritage institutions, the creative industries and the technology sector. This degree is also ideally suited to those already working in these sectors and who are seeking to significantly advance their professional development and expand their career opportunities.

Subject Area & Supervision

PhD by Practice students are based in the Digital Humanities Research Hub, which has strong connections with the other Institutes within the School of Advanced Study. Academic staff in the Hub have expertise in Classics, English, History and Modern Languages and Cultures. Students will also have the opportunity to work with technical experts and other digital humanities practitioners.

Students will have access to a range of resources to support their degree, including research software, expert technical advice, and connections to national and international scholarly and professional organisations. They will also have opportunities to use the Senate House MakerSpace, which provides facilities for 3D imaging and printing, digitisation, and computational experimentation.

It is possible to secure co-supervision from a supervisor based elsewhere in the School who can offer additional disciplinary expertise.

All of the digital research in the School has a strong humanities focus and brings together technical expertise with a strong foundation in specific disciplinary approaches. Recent research in the Hub has included:

• Humanities approaches to the archived web
• Analysing COVID misinformation on social media
• The transnational comparison of parliamentary proceedings
• Computational text analysis of the 1921 Census records 
• The application of digital methods to papyrology
• Approaches to social media and user-generated data in cultural heritage institutions
• Digital resources in cultural heritage institutions
• Multilingual analysis of contemporary news coverage using natural language processing

Before submitting an application you are advised to contact a member of academic staff who has interests in your proposed field of study to discuss your proposal.

Course dates

30 September 2024

Location

Digital Humanities Research Hub

Course duration

3-4 years (full-time); 5-6 years (part-time)

Application deadlines

Applications will open 1 November 2023 for September 2024 entry.

Level of study

MPhil/PhD

Mode of study

Full-time On Campus, Part-time On Campus, Full-Time Distance Learning, Part-time Distance Learning

Funding opportunities

Contact Us

If you have specific questions, please make an enquiry.