Digital Developments in Scottish Studies

• Published in: Scottish studies (Edinburgh) 2024-01, Vol.40, p.65
• Main Authors: William Lamb University of Edinburgh, Natasha Sumner Harvard University, Gordon Wells The University of the Highlands and Islands
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0036-9411; 2052-3629
• DOI: 10.2218/ss.v40.9290

Technology wasn’t always a big part of Scottish Studies. For those whose scholarly training in our field involved the hands-on study of old manuscripts, or the transcription of voices from magnetic tapes, the steepest technological challenge may have been changing the ribbon in an electric typewriter or the battery in a tape recorder. The past few decades have been transformative. But while the pace of change is – and no doubt will remain – challenging, a variety of new technologies will increasingly shape how we gain access to source materials and the questions we ask about them. Greater understanding of these technologies will be essential for all of us. To trace the impact that digital technologies have already had on our field and to get a sense of what lies ahead, Scottish Studies spoke with three colleagues involved in transforming access to specific areas of study. Our first interview was with Professor William Lamb of the University of Edinburgh’s Department of Celtic and Scottish Studies, who has been involved in several pioneering, computer-based projects designed to facilitate access to source materials in ways that will allow us to ask questions we might not have otherwise imagined. The latest of these is a collaborative project entitled ‘Decoding hidden heritages in Gaelic traditional narrative with text mining and phylogenetics’: 1