Writing history in the virtual knowledge studio for the humanities and social sciences

This paper presents the goals and theoretical underpinning of a new programme in e-humanities and e-social science in the Netherlands. Recent transformations in communication and information exchange have created new opportunities for researchers in the humanities and social sciences. It is not self-evident, however, in what ways scholars can best use these possibilities while maintaining and further developing their specific roles in academia and society. This is the rationale of a new research programme in the Netherlands, The Virtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities and Social Sciences, hosted by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. It aims to support researchers in the social sciences and humanities in the creation of new scholarly practices, termed e-research, as well as in their reflection on e-research in relation to the development of their fields. A core feature of the Virtual Knowledge Studio is the integration of design and analysis in a close cooperation between social scientists, humanities researchers, information technology experts and information scientists. This integrated approach should provide insight in the way e-research can contribute to new research questions and methods in the humanities and social sciences.