I would like to propose a session to discuss (and put into practice) the re-use and repurposing of Open Access data. As a starting point, I’d take some of the Classical and other datasets made available for the Developers’ Challenge, and see how they can be exploited with text mining, searching and indexing, aggregating, disambiguating, improving, turning into Linked Data, and otherwise using in ways that the original creators might not have envisaged or intended.

We don’t need to worry so much about whether our outcomes are amazingly innovative and prize-worthy, just to see what ideas we can get out of freely available work, and what we can find to say about issues of re-use and Open Access in the meantime.

Have you a cool new way to give Humanities researchers access to digital resources? Here is a chance to show the Digital Humanities community what you can do.

There will be a Developer’s Challenge as a part of the DH2010/THATCamp London this year. It will be an opportunity for you, as a developer of software in the Digital Humanities, to show off your ideas for new ways that digital humanities data can be exploited. The focus will be on a prototype application that breaks down barriers between humanities scholars and digital materials in new ways.

We are encouraging a few Humanities data providers to provide materials that you can exploit. A list of available datasets will be made available on the THATCamp London website in early June. Information on how to access the datasets will eventually be made available on this page also.

The winners will receive a piece of hardware that we think you might like. Also, of course, you will receive the glory of recognition from others in the Digital Humanities. The winning team and software will also be announced within the broader JISC developer community.

How you can take part in the Challenge
You will need to register as a participant for the Developer Challenge. Please email and to register your intention to participate in the Challenge; if you are not already registered on the THATCamp London site, please also include a brief biography, and a description of the area you would like to work on.

Sponsors:
JISC, DH2010 conference organisers, CCH, CeRch, Digital Classicist.

See more details and Challenge rules.