Working at scale: what do computational methods mean for research using cases, models and collections?

Abstract

• Open access, peer-reviewed article published in Science Museum Group Journal, as part of a double-length special issue for the AHRC TaNC discovery project, 'Congruence Engine'. The article gives a critical overview of how 'scale' operates as a keyword within computational humanities as well as reviewing a number of cognate fields, including History, STS and English Literature. The rise of data science is the background to exploring possible computational approaches to research on heritage collections. The article discusses work by scholars who traverse and interrogate scale, including Jo Guldi & Ted Underwood. It was influenced by Monika Krause's work on 'Model Cases', and is indebted to colleagues on Living with Machines.