The Specialised Information Service Asia (FID Asia) with its online platform CrossAsia has conducted a comprehensive survey as part of the CrossAsia Dialogue to determine the needs and wishes regarding a tailor-made DH curriculum for the CrossAsia Classroom. With the increasing integration of digital tools and methods, new horizons are opening up for research and teaching in the humanities. In this article, we present and analyse the results of this survey, in which a total of 88 people participated. It should be noted that some questions were asked in a dependent manner, for example when previous knowledge was asked for and this was answered with “No”, which meant that the respondents automatically skipped the relevant areas. This dynamic is reflected in the analysis by the answer option “Question skipped” and is taken into account in the context of the analysis.
Part 1: Regions and technical background
In order to be able to offer customised services to meet the needs of our users, we have collected data on their regional and professional background.
Figure 1: (Question 1) Which category best describes you?
The survey results show a diverse participation of different groups with an interest in the FID’s DH programmes. While PhD students (15) are the most common single group within the overall majority of post-graduate researchers (53). In contrast, there is a minority of MA and BA students (12) as well as a small group of library users (6) and others who do not belong to an academic institution (6). This composition reflects the general user base of the FID and makes it clear that the services are primarily used by established academics, doctoral students and advanced students. This emphasises the focus on cutting-edge research and confirms that the FID’s services are primarily developed to meet the needs of these groups. In terms of the relationship to university services, this shows a need for services for established researchers regardless of their academic training during their studies.
The regional origin of the interviewees also shows that the interest in DH offerings broadly corresponds to the composition of CrossAsia users as a whole.
Figure 2: (Question 2) In which regions do you work/study?
The majority of respondents (36) stated that they were interested in China, followed by Japan (27) and Korea (15). Southeast Asia and Central Asia were mentioned by 5 and 2 respondents respectively. The “Other” category had 10 responses, with regions such as South Asia, West Asia, Greater China, the USA and Europe being mentioned. This distribution also reflects the usage patterns of our services, with China being the most requested region for FID Asia’s offerings, followed by Japan and Korea. This emphasises the relevance and importance of these regions for the research activities and interests of our users.
The following questions are aimed at the specific DH background of the participants, based on the question about the initial contact.
Figure 3: (Question 3) How did you first hear about the digital humanities?
The responses, for which multiple answers were permitted, show that structured educational programmes and self-study are on a par. University seminars or workshops are the most common answer (41) for initial contact with the topic. This was followed by 27 responses for online research. Under the category “Other” (8), lectures, programmes offered by their own university and personal interest were named as sources. These results suggest that structured offerings such as those provided by CrossAsia are useful for promoting interest in the digital humanities and that they should be made available online on an ongoing basis
This is followed by a question on the participants’ self-assessment of their current level of knowledge of the digital humanities.
Figure 4: (Question 4) How familiar are you with the field of digital humanities?
The majority of survey participants already have some understanding of the topic of DH. Even if this does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the entirety of FID users, it shows that offers that require prior knowledge best reflect the level of knowledge of those interested. Just over half (52%) are somewhat familiar or familiar. Around 11% of participants stated that they were “not at all familiar” with DH topics. Given that the user base consists mainly of prospective and established scientists, specifically targeted training programmes for a smaller group of users may be beneficial.
We then asked them to assess the relevance of the topic for their own research.
Figure 5: (Question 5) How important is knowledge of digital humanities for your work or studies?
The survey results illustrate the relevance of digital humanities for one’s own work or studies. Especially in a direct comparison of the answers given (red and blue in Figure 5). Over 80% of respondents stated that the digital humanities were “very important” or “fairly important” to them. This distribution emphasises the importance of digital humanities and the need to provide corresponding offerings.
Evaluation part 1:
The results show that the FID Asia should further develop its programmes in the CrossAsia Classroom in order to meet the needs of cutting-edge research. The survey shows that the majority of respondents are in advanced studies or already have a doctorate. This emphasises the need to view our services as complementary to university courses. Our programmes are not purely introductory courses. Rather, they are designed to teach advanced methods and techniques. The aim is to make a sustainable contribution to the research community.
Part 2: Technical knowledge of respondents
In order to make customised offers, it is necessary to identify the technical background of the target audience more precisely. The second part of the survey therefore aimed to record the technical skills and tools of the digital humanities. A selection of common programmes and services were surveyed. However, respondents also had the opportunity to freely name applications.
Figure 6: (Question 6) Please indicate which of the following tools or services you have used as part of your research work.
The answers illustrate the focus on the China region already visible in question 2. Of the top five tools and services used, three have a regional focus on China (CBDB, CGIS, MARKUS). The most frequently mentioned service is GitHub/GitLab, which is used by 28 respondents. This confirms the FID’s efforts to use GitHub for collaborations as well as for its own developments, which is currently being implemented. Among the four free responses, MeCab and ChatGPT were each mentioned twice. The survey was also approached with the expectation that universal tools that can be used regardless of region and language would be more strongly represented overall. This was not confirmed in this survey.
Figure 7: (Question 7) Which of the following technologies do you use in your research?
Question 7 aimed to find out the technologies used by the survey participants in their own research. Python is the most frequently used technology with 21 responses, followed by a relatively high prevalence of xml-based technologies. It is also interesting to note the low number of responses on JavaScript (10), which is a central component of the World Wide Web. In the free responses (4), relational databases (SQL) were mentioned once.
Evaluation part 2:
A certain need for action can be deduced from the answers given. Given the small number of participants, services that provide structured data appear to be much better known than the analytical tools for processing this data. Imparting knowledge about the relevant tools can therefore be seen as a requirement for the CrossAsia training programmes. Furthermore, the ongoing efforts to strengthen the FID’s GitHub presence should be continued and included in the DH educational programmes.
Part 3: Training programmes offered through the CrossAsia Classroom
The third section of the survey determines how respondents feel about training programmes, in what form they should be offered and which topics are particularly relevant.
Figure 8: (Question 8) Would you be interested in taking part in workshops or training courses on digital humanities?
As expected, the level of interest among participants is high, with the survey results showing a clear interest in workshops or training courses on digital humanities. 43.18% of respondents fully agreed, while 21.59% somewhat agreed. Only 2.27% stated that they were not very interested. This illustrates the need for training in this area. In order to tailor the training programme to the needs of the users, the users’ preferences for the different forms of training should be surveyed.
Figure 9: (Question 9) Which format would you prefer for teaching knowledge about digital humanities?
The survey results show a clear preference for online formats. Under “other”, three respondents mentioned “asynchronous video inputs” and “hackathons” as other possible options. The comparatively low interest in academic courses reflects the backgrounds of the survey participants described in Part 1. In order to take the preferences and needs of users into account when planning and designing training and further education programmes, the final survey focuses on the selection of topics.
Figure 10: (Question 10) Which digital skills or tools would you most like to learn?
It is clear that the topics of “data visualisation” (45) and “text mining” (41) are in particularly high demand, with “network analysis” (31) in third place. In addition, offers on the topics of “digital archiving” and “digital editions” were requested with 30 mentions each. In the open question about projects, “digital editions” was mentioned most frequently (7 out of 26).
Figure 11: (Question 11) What specific projects or research work do you have in mind in which digital humanities methods are applied?
The interest in other topics such as “OCR (Optical Character Recognition)” (29) as well as “Machine Learning” and “GIS (Geographic Information Systems)” (24 each) shows the diversity of respondents’ needs in the field of digital humanities and helps the FID to plan the training programme within the CrossAsia Classroom and the specialist training courses accordingly.
Evaluation part 3:
It can be stated that there is a clear interest in workshops or training courses in the field of digital humanities. The majority of respondents were in favour of such offerings, with online formats being particularly preferred. This reflects the need for flexible and accessible training programmes. The different degrees of specialisation of the individual academics lead to a wide range of desired uses. While a certain basic knowledge of the digital humanities is already available, some participants are still at the beginning of their work with it and would like targeted training programmes. The clear identification of desired topics helps us to expand the training programme accordingly and adapt it to the stated needs.
What’s next?
The survey has shown that the topic of digital humanities is also becoming increasingly important in the Asian sciences. Based on your many helpful responses and suggestions that we received as part of the survey, we can now tackle this task in a more targeted manner. As a first step, the DH Lunchtalks were launched in November 2023, which serve as a low-threshold introduction to the topic of digital humanities and as a platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices.
In addition, the Digital Humanities Conference “Charting the European D-SEA: Digital Scholarship in East Asian Studies” will take place in summer 2024 in cooperation with the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science. The aim is to provide an overview of the current state of digital research in East Asian Studies in Europe, to build a European community of East Asian scholars and to offer a platform for the exchange of important methods and resources in innovative digital projects worldwide. In addition, it aims to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue that brings together scholars and technical experts from different disciplines to share their knowledge on the application of digital methods and exchange experiences.
We invite you to accompany us in the further process with your suggestions and feedback.
Testzugang Airiti “Results Analysis Module” bis zum 30.06.2024
/in Aktuelle Testzugänge, Aktuelles/by Duncan PatersonDer taiwanische Anbieter Airiti hat bis zum 30.06.2024 einen Testzugang für erweiterte Bibliometriefunktionen auf den bekannten Portalen (TEPS, CETD, …) der airitilibrary.com Plattform eingerichtet. Diese ermöglichen Rechercheoptionen auf Grundlage von Zitationsindexen sowie Keywords der Volltexte, die auch im Batchexport zur Verfügung stehen.
Der Zugrunde liegende Academic Citation Index kann über ein eigenes Portal direkt aufgerufen werden, um bibliometrische Daten zu Autoren, Artikeln, Journalen, Disziplinen, Institutionen etc. recherchierbar zu machen.
Wir wünschen viel Spaß beim Testen, und freuen uns auf Ihr/Euer Feedback.
https://www.airitilibrary.com/
New Features of the Results Analyzer Module:
l Analysis data of highly cited literature using Academic Citation Index (ACI).
l Integration of keyword analysis function to assist researchers in expanding or narrowing down their search scope.
l Full-text search service with online reading integration, enhancing the convenience and efficiency of finding relevant knowledge.
l For researchers requiring bibliography research or literature review, batch export of bibliographic data is available, saving significant time in downloading bibliographies.
l Inclusion of access to the ACI Academic Citation Index Database.
Academic Citation Index
https://www.airitiaci.com
l Enhanced Citation Analysis – Enhances citation analysis results, highlighting the research performance in the humanities and social sciences fields in Taiwan, allowing the strength of the research to be visible.
l International Integration – Integrates services such as PlumX, Airiti Library, DOI, etc., and adds bibliography export functionality, seamlessly interfacing with existing citation analysis tools like VOSviewer, enabling researchers to explore literature and cutting-edge research visually.
l Data Authority Control – In recent years, ACI has continued to complete and control bibliographic data (journals, institutions, authors, etc.) with the aim of presenting rich and objective research results and impact, continuously accumulating research energy.
l Online Modules – Five major modules: literature, journals, disciplines, institutions, authors, etc. Data between the modules are interconnected, allowing users to explore data from multiple perspectives, meet different needs, and quickly find objective and high-quality integrated information.
Ihr/Euer
CrossAsia Team
Testzugang für taiwanische Zeitungen (1905-1965) und Mantetsu 滿鉄 Materialien (bis 15. Juli 2024)
/in Aktuelle Testzugänge, Aktuelles/by CrossAsiaDas uns allen als Diaolong bekannte Portal für historische chinesische Quellentexte hat sich eine übergeordnete Webseite zugelegt: Fanyun (zum Öffnen klicken). Im Testzugriff bis zum 15. Juli 2024 sind dort für CrossAsia- und Stabi-Nutzer:innen alle Ressourcen aus den Blöcken taiwanische Materialien/Zeitungen vom Anfang des 20. Jahrhundert bis in die 1960er Jahre und Dokumente zu Mantesu 滿鉄/Manchurian Railway geöffnet (Mantetsu ist auch in CADAL ein eigener Themenblock, dort aber ohne Volltext). Auch in Fanyun liegen nicht alle Materialien bereits im Volltext vor. Die Tabelle unten listet auf, was aktuell wie im Test verfügbar ist.
Fanyun: Trial Overview
Bitte ausführlich testen und uns Feedback geben. Ist etwas darunter, dass CrossAsia in sein Angebot aufnehmen sollte (ist natürlich dann auch eine Frage des Preises etc.)? Gibt es Featurewünsche/-ideen, die wir dem Anbieter weiterleiten sollen?
Wir freuen uns von Ihnen/euch zu hören.
CrossAsia Team
CrossAsia Classroom: Online-Seminare im Sommersemester 2024 | CrossAsia Classroom: online seminars in the summer semester 2024
/in Aktuelles, Schulungen/by CrossAsiaIm Sommersemester 2024 bietet das Team von CrossAsia wieder zahlreiche Online-Schulungen zu den hauseigenen Angeboten an.
Neben allgemeinen Einführungsveranstaltungen zu CrossAsia werden auch spezielle Veranstaltungen zu den einzelnen Regionen (China, Japan, Korea, Südostasien und Zentralasien) sowie zu einzelnen Materialtypen angeboten.
Das aktuelle Programm finden Sie wie immer im CrossAsia Classroom und unter der Rubrik “Workshops und mehr” im Veranstaltungskalender der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.
Auf der CrossAsia Classroom-Seite finden Sie außerdem aktuelles Informationsmaterial zu den einzelnen Regionen und Links zu unseren CrossAsia Tutorials.
Falls Sie als Institution ein auf Sie und Ihr Publikum zugeschnittenes Web-Seminare kostenfrei buchen möchten, können Sie sich gerne über xasia@sbb.spk-berlin.de mit uns in Verbindung setzen oder direkt unsere regionalen Referent:innen dahingehend kontaktieren. Gerne kommen wir auch zu Ihnen, um Schulungen Live vor Ort abzuhalten.
***
In the summer semester 2024, the CrossAsia team will once again be offering numerous online training courses for the CrossAsia offerings.
In addition to general introductory events on CrossAsia, special events on the individual regions (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and Central Asia) and on individual types of material will also be offered.
As always, you can find the current programme in the CrossAsia Classroom and under the heading “Workshops and more” in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin’s calendar of events.
On the CrossAsia Classroom page you will also find up-to-date information material on the individual regions and links to our CrossAsia tutorials.
If you are an institution and would like to book a web seminar tailored to you and your audience free of charge, you are welcome to contact us at xasia@sbb.spk-berlin.de or contact our regional speakers directly. We are also happy to come to you to hold live training sessions on site.
Results of the Digital Humanities Survey: CrossAsia Dialogue: Customised DH curriculum for CrossAsia Classroom
/in Aktuelles, Fachinformationsdienst, Nutzerumfrage/by Nicole TerneThe Specialised Information Service Asia (FID Asia) with its online platform CrossAsia has conducted a comprehensive survey as part of the CrossAsia Dialogue to determine the needs and wishes regarding a tailor-made DH curriculum for the CrossAsia Classroom. With the increasing integration of digital tools and methods, new horizons are opening up for research and teaching in the humanities. In this article, we present and analyse the results of this survey, in which a total of 88 people participated. It should be noted that some questions were asked in a dependent manner, for example when previous knowledge was asked for and this was answered with “No”, which meant that the respondents automatically skipped the relevant areas. This dynamic is reflected in the analysis by the answer option “Question skipped” and is taken into account in the context of the analysis.
Part 1: Regions and technical background
In order to be able to offer customised services to meet the needs of our users, we have collected data on their regional and professional background.
Figure 1: (Question 1) Which category best describes you?
The survey results show a diverse participation of different groups with an interest in the FID’s DH programmes. While PhD students (15) are the most common single group within the overall majority of post-graduate researchers (53). In contrast, there is a minority of MA and BA students (12) as well as a small group of library users (6) and others who do not belong to an academic institution (6). This composition reflects the general user base of the FID and makes it clear that the services are primarily used by established academics, doctoral students and advanced students. This emphasises the focus on cutting-edge research and confirms that the FID’s services are primarily developed to meet the needs of these groups. In terms of the relationship to university services, this shows a need for services for established researchers regardless of their academic training during their studies.
The regional origin of the interviewees also shows that the interest in DH offerings broadly corresponds to the composition of CrossAsia users as a whole.
Figure 2: (Question 2) In which regions do you work/study?
The majority of respondents (36) stated that they were interested in China, followed by Japan (27) and Korea (15). Southeast Asia and Central Asia were mentioned by 5 and 2 respondents respectively. The “Other” category had 10 responses, with regions such as South Asia, West Asia, Greater China, the USA and Europe being mentioned. This distribution also reflects the usage patterns of our services, with China being the most requested region for FID Asia’s offerings, followed by Japan and Korea. This emphasises the relevance and importance of these regions for the research activities and interests of our users.
The following questions are aimed at the specific DH background of the participants, based on the question about the initial contact.
Figure 3: (Question 3) How did you first hear about the digital humanities?
The responses, for which multiple answers were permitted, show that structured educational programmes and self-study are on a par. University seminars or workshops are the most common answer (41) for initial contact with the topic. This was followed by 27 responses for online research. Under the category “Other” (8), lectures, programmes offered by their own university and personal interest were named as sources. These results suggest that structured offerings such as those provided by CrossAsia are useful for promoting interest in the digital humanities and that they should be made available online on an ongoing basis
This is followed by a question on the participants’ self-assessment of their current level of knowledge of the digital humanities.
Figure 4: (Question 4) How familiar are you with the field of digital humanities?
The majority of survey participants already have some understanding of the topic of DH. Even if this does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the entirety of FID users, it shows that offers that require prior knowledge best reflect the level of knowledge of those interested. Just over half (52%) are somewhat familiar or familiar. Around 11% of participants stated that they were “not at all familiar” with DH topics. Given that the user base consists mainly of prospective and established scientists, specifically targeted training programmes for a smaller group of users may be beneficial.
We then asked them to assess the relevance of the topic for their own research.
Figure 5: (Question 5) How important is knowledge of digital humanities for your work or studies?
The survey results illustrate the relevance of digital humanities for one’s own work or studies. Especially in a direct comparison of the answers given (red and blue in Figure 5). Over 80% of respondents stated that the digital humanities were “very important” or “fairly important” to them. This distribution emphasises the importance of digital humanities and the need to provide corresponding offerings.
Evaluation part 1:
The results show that the FID Asia should further develop its programmes in the CrossAsia Classroom in order to meet the needs of cutting-edge research. The survey shows that the majority of respondents are in advanced studies or already have a doctorate. This emphasises the need to view our services as complementary to university courses. Our programmes are not purely introductory courses. Rather, they are designed to teach advanced methods and techniques. The aim is to make a sustainable contribution to the research community.
Part 2: Technical knowledge of respondents
In order to make customised offers, it is necessary to identify the technical background of the target audience more precisely. The second part of the survey therefore aimed to record the technical skills and tools of the digital humanities. A selection of common programmes and services were surveyed. However, respondents also had the opportunity to freely name applications.
Figure 6: (Question 6) Please indicate which of the following tools or services you have used as part of your research work.
The answers illustrate the focus on the China region already visible in question 2. Of the top five tools and services used, three have a regional focus on China (CBDB, CGIS, MARKUS). The most frequently mentioned service is GitHub/GitLab, which is used by 28 respondents. This confirms the FID’s efforts to use GitHub for collaborations as well as for its own developments, which is currently being implemented. Among the four free responses, MeCab and ChatGPT were each mentioned twice. The survey was also approached with the expectation that universal tools that can be used regardless of region and language would be more strongly represented overall. This was not confirmed in this survey.
Figure 7: (Question 7) Which of the following technologies do you use in your research?
Question 7 aimed to find out the technologies used by the survey participants in their own research. Python is the most frequently used technology with 21 responses, followed by a relatively high prevalence of xml-based technologies. It is also interesting to note the low number of responses on JavaScript (10), which is a central component of the World Wide Web. In the free responses (4), relational databases (SQL) were mentioned once.
Evaluation part 2:
A certain need for action can be deduced from the answers given. Given the small number of participants, services that provide structured data appear to be much better known than the analytical tools for processing this data. Imparting knowledge about the relevant tools can therefore be seen as a requirement for the CrossAsia training programmes. Furthermore, the ongoing efforts to strengthen the FID’s GitHub presence should be continued and included in the DH educational programmes.
Part 3: Training programmes offered through the CrossAsia Classroom
The third section of the survey determines how respondents feel about training programmes, in what form they should be offered and which topics are particularly relevant.
Figure 8: (Question 8) Would you be interested in taking part in workshops or training courses on digital humanities?
As expected, the level of interest among participants is high, with the survey results showing a clear interest in workshops or training courses on digital humanities. 43.18% of respondents fully agreed, while 21.59% somewhat agreed. Only 2.27% stated that they were not very interested. This illustrates the need for training in this area. In order to tailor the training programme to the needs of the users, the users’ preferences for the different forms of training should be surveyed.
Figure 9: (Question 9) Which format would you prefer for teaching knowledge about digital humanities?
The survey results show a clear preference for online formats. Under “other”, three respondents mentioned “asynchronous video inputs” and “hackathons” as other possible options. The comparatively low interest in academic courses reflects the backgrounds of the survey participants described in Part 1. In order to take the preferences and needs of users into account when planning and designing training and further education programmes, the final survey focuses on the selection of topics.
Figure 10: (Question 10) Which digital skills or tools would you most like to learn?
It is clear that the topics of “data visualisation” (45) and “text mining” (41) are in particularly high demand, with “network analysis” (31) in third place. In addition, offers on the topics of “digital archiving” and “digital editions” were requested with 30 mentions each. In the open question about projects, “digital editions” was mentioned most frequently (7 out of 26).
Figure 11: (Question 11) What specific projects or research work do you have in mind in which digital humanities methods are applied?
The interest in other topics such as “OCR (Optical Character Recognition)” (29) as well as “Machine Learning” and “GIS (Geographic Information Systems)” (24 each) shows the diversity of respondents’ needs in the field of digital humanities and helps the FID to plan the training programme within the CrossAsia Classroom and the specialist training courses accordingly.
Evaluation part 3:
It can be stated that there is a clear interest in workshops or training courses in the field of digital humanities. The majority of respondents were in favour of such offerings, with online formats being particularly preferred. This reflects the need for flexible and accessible training programmes. The different degrees of specialisation of the individual academics lead to a wide range of desired uses. While a certain basic knowledge of the digital humanities is already available, some participants are still at the beginning of their work with it and would like targeted training programmes. The clear identification of desired topics helps us to expand the training programme accordingly and adapt it to the stated needs.
What’s next?
The survey has shown that the topic of digital humanities is also becoming increasingly important in the Asian sciences. Based on your many helpful responses and suggestions that we received as part of the survey, we can now tackle this task in a more targeted manner. As a first step, the DH Lunchtalks were launched in November 2023, which serve as a low-threshold introduction to the topic of digital humanities and as a platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices.
In addition, the Digital Humanities Conference “Charting the European D-SEA: Digital Scholarship in East Asian Studies” will take place in summer 2024 in cooperation with the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science. The aim is to provide an overview of the current state of digital research in East Asian Studies in Europe, to build a European community of East Asian scholars and to offer a platform for the exchange of important methods and resources in innovative digital projects worldwide. In addition, it aims to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue that brings together scholars and technical experts from different disciplines to share their knowledge on the application of digital methods and exchange experiences.
We invite you to accompany us in the further process with your suggestions and feedback.
CrossAsia Talks: Gianna Pomata/Marta Hanson 06.06.2024
/in Veranstaltungen, Vortragsreihe "CrossAsia Talks"/by CrossAsia(See English below)
Wir möchten Ihnen den CrossAsia Talk mit dem Titel: “A Sample of Chinese Medicine for 17th-Century Europe” von Gianna Pomata und Marta Hanson ankündigen. Er wird am 6. Juni 2024 ab 18 Uhr (UTC+1) online stattfinden. Sie werden darstellen, wie Ideen der traditionellen chinesischen Medizin im 17. Jahrhundert ihren Weg nach Europa gefunden haben und wie der Wissenstransfer zu jener Zeit funktionierte.
Our lecture will focus on a book that played a key role in the introduction of Chinese medicine to Europe: Specimen Medicinae Sinicae sive Opuscula Medica ad Mentem Sinensium (A Sample of Chinese Medicine, or Brief Medical Works According to the Mind of the Chinese: Frankfurt am Main, 1682). The only extant manuscript of this book and some preparatory materials are held at the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Specimen included various writings, some presented as translation from the Chinese into Latin. Equipped with illustrations drawn from Chinese sources, the book dealt with basic Chinese physiological, anatomical, and therapeutic notions, mostly related to pulse medicine. No European authors or translators were acknowledged, except for the editor Andreas Cleyer, a German medical practitioner in the service of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia (present-day Jakarta).
In our lecture, we will describe our collaborative research on this text. Many questions were still unanswered when we started our project. Who wrote Specimen? Who translated the Chinese texts included in it? Centuries of controversies had obscured Specimen’s authorship. Recent research, including our own, has indicated with reasonable certainty that the Jesuit China missionaries Michael Boym and Philippe Couplet translated or otherwise wrote most of the texts assembled in Specimen. We have also identified some of the Chinese writings chosen for translation and we have compared these Chinese originals with their Latin rendering. Finally, we have traced Specimen’s journey from China, where the book was written, to Dutch Batavia, where the manuscript was lost and found, to Frankfurt, where it was finally published. The appearance of the book in Europe required the transnational collaboration of three sets of people across the globe: some Jesuits in the China mission, such as Boym and Couplet, who authored the translations; a medical practitioner of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia, Andreas Cleyer, who collected fragments of their work; and on the receiving end of the network, an association of learned physicians, the German Academia naturae curiosorum, who sponsored the publication.
Die Vortragssprache ist Englisch. Bei Fragen kontaktieren Sie uns gern über folgende Mailadresse: ostasienabt@sbb.spk-berlin.de. Die Veranstaltung wird aufgezeichnet.*
Der Vortrag wird via Webex gestreamt. Sie können am Vortrag über Ihren Browser ohne Installation einer Software teilnehmen. Klicken Sie dazu unten auf „Zum Vortrag“, folgen dem Link „Über Browser teilnehmen“ und geben Ihren Namen ein.
Alle bislang angekündigten Vorträge finden Sie hier. Die weiteren Termine kündigen wir in unserem Blog und auf unserem X-Account an.
—
We would like to announce the CrossAsia Talk entitled: “A Sample of Chinese Medicine for 17th-Century Europe” by Gianna Pomata and Marta Hanson. It will take place online on June 6, 2024 from 6 pm (UTC+1). They will discuss how ideas of traditional Chinese medicine first came to Europe in the 17th century and how the transfer of knowledge worked at that time.
Our lecture will focus on a book that played a key role in the introduction of Chinese medicine to Europe: Specimen Medicinae Sinicae sive Opuscula Medica ad Mentem Sinensium (A Sample of Chinese Medicine, or Brief Medical Works According to the Mind of the Chinese: Frankfurt am Main, 1682). The only extant manuscript of this book and some preparatory materials are held at the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Specimen included various writings, some presented as translation from the Chinese into Latin. Equipped with illustrations drawn from Chinese sources, the book dealt with basic Chinese physiological, anatomical, and therapeutic notions, mostly related to pulse medicine. No European authors or translators were acknowledged, except for the editor Andreas Cleyer, a German medical practitioner in the service of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia (present-day Jakarta).
In our lecture, we will describe our collaborative research on this text. Many questions were still unanswered when we started our project. Who wrote Specimen? Who translated the Chinese texts included in it? Centuries of controversies had obscured Specimen’s authorship. Recent research, including our own, has indicated with reasonable certainty that the Jesuit China missionaries Michael Boym and Philippe Couplet translated or otherwise wrote most of the texts assembled in Specimen. We have also identified some of the Chinese writings chosen for translation and we have compared these Chinese originals with their Latin rendering. Finally, we have traced Specimen’s journey from China, where the book was written, to Dutch Batavia, where the manuscript was lost and found, to Frankfurt, where it was finally published. The appearance of the book in Europe required the transnational collaboration of three sets of people across the globe: some Jesuits in the China mission, such as Boym and Couplet, who authored the translations; a medical practitioner of the Dutch East India Company in Batavia, Andreas Cleyer, who collected fragments of their work; and on the receiving end of the network, an association of learned physicians, the German Academia naturae curiosorum, who sponsored the publication.
The lecture will be held in English. If you have any questions, please contact us at the following e-mail address: ostasienabt@sbb.spk-berlin.de. The event will be filmed.*
The lecture will be streamed via Webex. You can take part in the lecture using your browser without having to install a special software. Please click on the respective button “To the lecture” below, follow the link “join via browser” (“über Browser teilnehmen”), and enter your name.
You can find all previously announced lectures here. We will announce further dates in our blog and on X.
*Mit Ihrer Teilnahme an der Veranstaltung räumen Sie der Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz und ihren nachgeordneten Einrichtungen kostenlos alle Nutzungsrechte an den Bildern/Videos ein, die während der Veranstaltung von Ihnen angefertigt wurden. Dies schließt auch die kommerzielle Nutzung ein. Diese Einverständniserklärung gilt räumlich und zeitlich unbeschränkt und für die Nutzung in allen Medien, sowohl für analoge als auch für digitale Verwendungen. Sie umfasst auch die Bildbearbeitung sowie die Verwendung der Bilder für Montagen. / By participating, you grant the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz and its subordinate institutions free of charge all rights of usage of pictures and videos taken of you during this lecture presentation. This declaration of consent is valid in terms of time and space without restrictions and for usage in all media, including analogue and digital usage. It includes image processing and the usage of photos in composite illustrations. German law will apply.
Der Blaue Leihverkehr erfindet sich neu!
/in Aktuelles, Blauer Leihverkehr/by Ursula Flache(See English below)
Laufend erreichen uns im Blauen Leihverkehr (BLV) Bestellungen für westlichsprachige Materialien, die wir bisher ablehnen mussten. Als Fachinformationsdienst (FID) Asien möchten wir diesem Bedarf von Seiten der Nutzenden Rechnung tragen und unseren Service im Sinne eines One-Stop-Shop verbessern. Wir freuen uns, Sie über die folgenden Veränderungen im Hinblick auf den BLV zu informieren, die ab sofort in Kraft treten:
Im Fall von Fragen rund um den BLV schreiben Sie uns bitte Ihr Anliegen: getit@sbb.spk-berlin.de
Die Erweiterung des Services bedeutet auch für uns als CrossAsia Team eine große Veränderung. Wir steigen damit auf ein anderes Verwaltungssystem um und führen neue Workflows ein. Wir hoffen auf Ihr Verständnis, wenn in der Anfangsphase vielleicht noch nicht alles rund läuft, denken aber, dass sich der Aufwand für die Verbesserung für alle Nutzenden des BLV lohnt.
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The Blue Loan Service (Blauer Leihverkehr, BLV) is starting anew!
We are constantly receiving orders via BLV for Western-language materials that we had to reject up to now. As a Specialist Information Service (Fachinformationsdienst, FID), we would like to take this need from users into account and improve our service in the sense of a one-stop shop. We are pleased to inform you about the following changes to the BLV, which come into force immediately:
If you have any questions about the BLV, please write to us with your concerns: getit@sbb.spk-berlin.de
The expansion of the service also means a big change for us as CrossAsia Team. We are switching to a different management software and introducing new workflows. We hope for your understanding, if everything may not be running smoothly in the initial phase, but we think that the effort to improve is worth it for all users of the BLV.
DH Conference July 8-12: Charting the European D-SEA: Digital Scholarship in East Asian Studies
/in Aktuelles, SBB/by CrossAsiaLiebe CrossAsia Nutzer:innen,
(See English below)
die Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin und das Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte (MPIWG) laden Sie zur Konferenz „Charting the European D-SEA: Digital Scholarship in East Asian Studies” ein, die vom 8. bis 12. Juli in Berlin stattfinden wird.
Ziel der Konferenz ist es, einen Überblick über den aktuellen Stand der digitalen Forschung in den Ostasienwissenschaften in Europa zu geben, eine europäische Gemeinschaft von Ostasienwissenschaftlern aufzubauen, die an digitaler Forschung interessiert sind, und eine Plattform für europäische Wissenschaftler zu bieten, um sich über die wichtigsten Methoden und Ressourcen zu informieren, die in innovativen digitalen Projekten in den Ostasienwissenschaften weltweit entwickelt wurden. Darüber hinaus soll ein interdisziplinärer Dialog gefördert werden, der Wissenschaftler:innen und technische Expert:innen (Informatiker:innen, Bibliothekar:innen und Archivar:innen), die sich mit ostasiatischen Regionen befassen, zusammenbringt, um ihr Wissen über die Anwendung digitaler Methoden, die oft sprachspezifisch sind, zu teilen und Erfahrungen und Herausforderungen auszutauschen.
Das Programm umfasst:
Weitere Informationen entnehmen Sie bitte dem beigefügten CfP. Die Anmeldung mit Call für Vortragende finden Sie hier:
https://survey.academiccloud.de/index.php/149693?lang=en
Die Anmeldung ist bis zum 21. April 2024 möglich.
Click here for more details: Charting EU D-SEA_CFP
Mit besten Grüßen,
Ihr CrossAsia Team
Dear CrossAsia users,
The Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (Berlin State Library) and the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) invite applications for the conference „Charting the European D-SEA: Digital Scholarship in East Asian Studies“, which will take place on July 8th till 12th in Berlin.
This conference aims to survey the current state of digital scholarship in East Asian Studies within Europe, to build a European community for East Asian scholars interested in digital scholarship, and to offer a platform for European scholars to obtain knowledge about key methods and resources created in cutting-edge digital projects in East Asian Studies worldwide. It also intends to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue, connecting scholars and technical experts (computer scientists, librarians, and archivists) working on East Asian regions to share knowledge on deploying digital methods that are often language-specific, and to exchange their experiences and challenges.
The program includes:
For further information, please refer to the attached CfP. The registration form with call for speakers can be found here:
https://survey.academiccloud.de/index.php/149693?lang=en
Registration is possible until 21st April 2024.
Click here for more details: Charting EU D-SEA_CFP
With best regards,
Your CrossAsia Team
VERSCHOBEN! Service Unterbrechung CrossAsia 05.04.24 – 08.04.24
/in Aktuelles, Services/by CrossAsiaUpdate: Bitte beachtet, dass die Serviceunterbrechung auf einen späteren Zeitpunkt verschoben wurde. Sobald es ein konkretes Datum gibt, veröffentlichen wir es auf unseren Kommunikationskanälen.
Update: Please note that the service outage has been postponed to a later date. As soon as there is a concrete date, we will publish it on our communication channels.
Liebe CrossAsia Nutzende,
wegen Wartungsarbeiten an unserer Infrastruktur für geplante Serviceerweiterungen kommt es zwischen Freitag, dem 05.04.2024, 12 Uhr, bis einschließlich Montag, den 08.04.2024 zu einer Unterbrechung aller unserer Web-Dienste. Auch per Telefon und E-Mail sind wir in diesem Zeitraum nicht erreichbar. Wir bitten vielmals um Entschuldigung für die Unannehmlichkeiten und bitten um Ihr/Euer Verständnis. Über unsere X und Mastodon Accounts halten wir Sie/euch auf dem Laufenden.
Ihr/Euer CrossAsia Team
Dear CrossAsia Users,
There will be a scheduled service outage from Friday 05.04.2024 (12 o’clock) until Monday night 08.04.2024 due to maintenance work on our IT infrastructure for planned service extensions. None of our Web services will be available and you cannot reach us via phone or email during this time. We apologise for the inconvenience and ask for your understanding. We will update you on the progess via our X and Mastodon accounts.
Your CrossAsia Team
CrossAsia Talks: Amanda Shuman 18.04.2024
/in Veranstaltungen, Vortragsreihe "CrossAsia Talks"/by CrossAsia(See English below)
Am 18. April ab 18 Uhr stellt Frau Amanda Shuman (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg) das Projekt “Maoist Legacy Database” in ihrem Online-Vortrag “Handling “lingering historical issues”: Using the Maoist Legacy database to examine justice in the post-Mao era” vor. Sie wird insbesondere auf die Nutzungsmöglichkeiten der bestehenden Datenbank eingehen.
The Maoist Legacy Database (MLD) was initially created as part of the ERC-project, “The Maoist Legacy: Party Dictatorship, Transitional Justice, and the Politics of Truth,” directed by Daniel Leese at the University of Freiburg, Germany. Over the course of 5 years (2014-2019), the project team collected and curated documents for the database related to the research topic and beyond. This talk will introduce the kinds of materials in the database and research possibilities through a discussion of the primary resulting research projects, three outstanding PhD dissertations, a monograph, and two groundbreaking co-edited volumes examining top-down and bottom-up efforts at justice in the post-Mao years. It will highlight the breadth of what’s available and discuss how scholars around the world are now using the database, both for their research and as a teaching tool.
Die Vortragssprache ist Englisch. Bei Fragen kontaktieren Sie uns unter: ostasienabt@sbb.spk-berlin.de.
Der Vortrag wird darüber hinaus via Webex gestreamt. Sie können am Vortrag über Ihren Browser ohne Installation einer Software teilnehmen. Klicken Sie dazu unten auf „Zum Vortrag“, folgen dem Link „Über Browser teilnehmen“ und geben Ihren Namen ein.
Alle bislang angekündigten Vorträge finden Sie hier. Die weiteren Termine kündigen wir in unserem Blog und auf unserem X-Account an.
Sollten Sie sich bereits vor dem Vortrag über das Projekt und die Datenbank informieren wollen, dann schauen Sie gern hier. Alle Informationen zur Kooperation zwischen der Maoist Legacy Collection und CrossAsia finden Sie in diesem Themenportal.
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On April 18, starting at 6 pm, Amanda Shuman (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg) will present the “Maoist Legacy Database” project in her online lecture “Handling “lingering historical issues”: Using the Maoist Legacy database to examine justice in the post-Mao era“. She will focus in particular on the potential uses of the existing database.
The Maoist Legacy Database (MLD) was initially created as part of the ERC-project, “The Maoist Legacy: Party Dictatorship, Transitional Justice, and the Politics of Truth,” directed by Daniel Leese at the University of Freiburg, Germany. Over the course of 5 years (2014-2019), the project team collected and curated documents for the database related to the research topic and beyond. This talk will introduce the kinds of materials in the database and research possibilities through a discussion of the primary resulting research projects, three outstanding PhD dissertations, a monograph, and two groundbreaking co-edited volumes examining top-down and bottom-up efforts at justice in the post-Mao years. It will highlight the breadth of what’s available and discuss how scholars around the world are now using the database, both for their research and as a teaching tool.
The lecture will be held in English. If you have any questions, please contact us: ostasienabt@sbb.spk-berlin.de.
The lecture will also be streamed via Webex. You can take part in the lecture using your browser without having to install a special software. Please click on the respective button “To the lecture” below, follow the link “join via browser” (“über Browser teilnehmen”), and enter your name.
You can find all previously announced lectures here. We will announce further dates in our blog and on X.
If you would like to find out more about the project and the database before the presentation, please click here. All information on the cooperation between the Maoist Legacy Collection and CrossAsia can be found in this thematic portal.
CrossAsia Talks: Dr. Xueqi Jiang 18.07.2024
/in Veranstaltungen, Vortragsreihe "CrossAsia Talks"/by CrossAsia(See English below)
Wir freuen uns, Ihnen den Vortrag von Dr. Xueqi Jiang (Universität Nanjing, China) “Zur abenteuerlichen Lebensgeschichte der beiden ersten Chinesen in Deutschland” am 18.07.2024 ab 16 Uhr ankündigen zu dürfen. Herr Jiang wird einen Einblick in die Leben von Asseng und Ahok geben und ihre Leben in die Zeitgeschichte einordnen.
Asseng und Ahok, beide in den 1790er Jahren am Perlflussdelta geboren, waren die ersten Chinesen, die sich in Deutschland langfristig aufhielten. Seit ihrer Ankunft Ende 1821 in Hamburg wurden sie von einem holländischen Kaufmann herumgeführt und öffentlich gegen Geld ausgestellt. Obwohl es sich nur um zwei vergleichsweise unbedeutende Personen handelte und eine sogenannte “Menschenausstellung” schon nach dem damaligen Maßstab als entwürdigend empfunden wurde, konnten die beiden Chinesen die Aufmerksamkeit des gelehrten Publikums in Deutschland auf sich ziehen und kamen in persönliche Berührung mit renommierten Persönlichkeiten wie Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, zahlreichen deutschen Wissenschaftlern, darunter Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, sowie den preußischen Königen. Der preußische König Friedrich Wilhelm III, der ein gewisses Interesse an den beiden Chinesen zu haben schien, ließ diese in Halle christliche Glaubenslehren lernen und feierlich taufen. Danach wurden die zwei Konvertiten zunächst in Sanssouci als Gärtner und dann am Königshof als Lakaien angestellt. Einer der Chinesen (Ahok) starb hochbetagt in Potsdam, während es dem anderen (Asseng) gelang, nicht nur aus Preußen auszureisen, sondern auch eine Weltumrundung zu vollenden. Die Familienbriefe des Letzteren lassen die Gestalt eines eingefleischten Abenteurers und unermüdlichen Weltenbummlers erkennen.
Die Vortragssprache ist Deutsch. Wir bitten Sie um Voranmeldung für den Vortrag unter: ostasienabt@sbb.spk-berlin.de. Die Veranstaltung wird aufgezeichnet.*
Der Vortrag wird via Webex gestreamt. Sie können am Vortrag über Ihren Browser ohne Installation einer Software teilnehmen. Klicken Sie dazu unten auf „Zum Vortrag“, folgen dem Link „Über Browser teilnehmen“ und geben Ihren Namen ein.
Alle bislang angekündigten Vorträge finden Sie hier. Die weiteren Termine kündigen wir in unserem Blog, auf unserem X-Account und Mastodon an.
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We are pleased to announce the lecture by Dr. Xueqi Jiang (University of Nanjing, China) “On the adventurous life story of the first two Chinese in Germany” on July 18th 2024 from 4 pm. Mr. Jiang will give an insight into the lives of Asseng and Ahok and place their lives in the history of their time.
Asseng and Ahok, both born on the Pearl River Delta in the 1790s, were the first Chinese to stay in Germany on a long-term basis. Since their arrival in Hamburg at the end of 1821, they were shown around by a Dutch merchant and exhibited publicly for money. Although they were only two comparatively insignificant people and a “human exhibition” was considered degrading even by the standards of the time, the two Chinese were able to attract the attention of the learned public in Germany and came into personal contact with renowned personalities such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, numerous German scientists, including Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, and the Prussian kings. The Prussian King Frederick William III, who seemed to have a certain interest in the two Chinese, had them taught Christian doctrines in Halle and solemnly baptized. The two converts were then employed first as gardeners in Sanssouci and then as footmen at the royal court. One of the Chinese (Ahok) died at a ripe old age in Potsdam, while the other (Asseng) not only managed to leave Prussia, but also completed a round-the-world trip. The family letters of the latter reveal the character of an inveterate adventurer and tireless globetrotter.
The lecture will be held in German. We kindly ask you to register in advance at: ostasienabt@sbb.spk-berlin.de. The event will be recorded.*
The lecture will also be streamed via Webex. You can take part in the lecture using your browser without having to install a special software. Please click on the respective button “To the lecture” below, follow the link “join via browser” (“über Browser teilnehmen”), and enter your name.
You can find all previously announced lectures here. We will announce further dates in our blog, on X and Mastodon.
*Mit Ihrer Teilnahme an der Veranstaltung räumen Sie der Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz und ihren nachgeordneten Einrichtungen kostenlos alle Nutzungsrechte an den Bildern/Videos ein, die während der Veranstaltung von Ihnen angefertigt wurden. Dies schließt auch die kommerzielle Nutzung ein. Diese Einverständniserklärung gilt räumlich und zeitlich unbeschränkt und für die Nutzung in allen Medien, sowohl für analoge als auch für digitale Verwendungen. Sie umfasst auch die Bildbearbeitung sowie die Verwendung der Bilder für Montagen. / By participating, you grant the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz and its subordinate institutions free of charge all rights of usage of pictures and videos taken of you during this lecture presentation. This declaration of consent is valid in terms of time and space without restrictions and for usage in all media, including analogue and digital usage. It includes image processing and the usage of photos in composite illustrations. German law will apply.