Linked data (LD) has been a focus of much activity in the fields of cultural heritage, humanities and art and architectural history over the past several years, as evidenced by projects including Yale’s Lux search tool, the Pharos photo archive consortium, the conversion to LD of the data in the Census of Antique Works of Art and Architecture Known in the Renaissance and the Getty Provenance Index, and the development of tools like ResearchSpace (built using Metaphacts) and Arches.

Much of the attention and resources focused on LD has centered on the technical challenges of creating LD repositories and/or interfaces. There have so far been fewer opportunities to consider LD from the researcher’s perspective or for scholars to share with each other the challenges and opportunities of research in an environment of LD. Moreover, as the amount and availability of LD representing cultural heritage and art history grows, the fundamental question of what an LD-enabled research practice would entail remains open and even ambiguous. That is, how specifically do (or could) scholars use linked data or linked data-powered research and discovery tools to conduct research and write histories of art, architecture, and other forms of cultural heritage? What role could scholars of art and architectural history play in creating and maintaining an ecosystem of LD? Moreover, how can LD–in both the practices associated with it and the research it produces–be more ethical and inclusive?

With these questions in mind, we are issuing this call to scholars of art and architectural history, cultural heritage and related fields, inviting those interested to participate in two types of convenings:

  1. A 1.5–2-hour introductory session on LD, including a high level overview of what LD is and how it is used, as well as a discussion of its potential for art-historical research and scholarship (currently scheduled for April 25, 2024)
  2. Four community calls, to be held over Zoom in summer and autumn 2024 (schedule TBD). These calls would combine presentations from experts and group participants; discussions of specific tools or skills and of particular LD repositories or resources.

More details about these convenings, including confirmed dates and agendas, will be circulated at a later date.

As a step towards forming a community of practice around LD for art and architectural history and cultural heritage research, these convenings are intended for any researchers who are interested in leveraging LD for their research and scholarship. Our specific goals with these convenings are to identify

  • a cohort of scholars who are using or who would like to use Linked Data in their research, and/or will be using a LD resource (e.g., Provenance Index, Census);
  • the needs of scholars who want to work with linked data (e.g., are there gaps in support for scholars, for example in terms of learning new skills or access to tools?);
  • key intellectual or conceptual concerns related to the use of LD for research (e.g., eurocentrism of available datasets, use of collections data as research evidence);
  • shared types of research questions or research areas where LD is particularly useful or relevant.

To indicate your interest in participating, please submit your responses to the questions in the form below by March 5, 2024. 

The group will be limited to 20 participants to better facilitate discussion. 

Organizers:

  • Kathleen Christian, Professor of Early Modern Art History (Humboldt Universität Berlin)
  • Sandra van Ginhoven, Head, Getty Provenance Index (Getty Research Institute)
  • Emily Pugh, Principal Research Specialist for Digital Art History (Getty Research Institute)