Transgene

Description

Titled 'Navigating Archives: Working With Large Datasets and Quantitative Methods in the History of Science', we examine how the creation and use of datasets and associated quantitative methods can be used to navigate unstructured archives.

This symposium will involve three presentations based on projects at different stages.

Kate Bowell will begin by detailing how she has compiled and analysed a dataset based on the c.20,000 science and technology exhibition labels at the National Museum of Scotland, which has enabled her to analyse the entire collection as well as conduct longitudinal and latitudinal studies centred around specific times, objects, or concepts.

Then, TRANSGENE's James Lowe will introduce the collection of millions of submissions of DNA sequences, c.30,000 publications using those sequences, and co-authorship networks derived from these.

Finally, Jan Surman will conclude by presenting a database of around 6,000 scholars from the Habsburg Empire, which has already been completed; he is interested in the re-use of databases beyond the projects they were initially established for. 

There will be ample time for discussion on the methodological and epistemic issues and implications of the issues raised. Please join us, attendance is free and online!