The Records Data Ecosystem in Humanities and Human Sciences Scholarship

Abstract:This conceptual article considers data used in the humanities and the human sciences, which are fundamentally different from data in other disciplines, such as the sciences or medicine. Data in the humanities are, however, equally important to study and understand. Humanists and others studying human artifacts often face the dual challenge of both using primary source records (or evidentiary) data and creating records data—non-computational, nonexperimental data, such as those found in manuscripts, websites, and social media. This process generates a complex research data ecosystem that has not previously been studied in the library and information science literature. To support records data work effectively, academic librarians must recognize the nature of the humanities and human sciences data ecosystem and must work with researchers accordingly.