Text Encoding for Humanities Scholarship, Texas A&M University

Friday, April 17

9:00–09:30 Session 0: Welcome and introductions

9:30–10:30 Session 1: What are digital research materials? (JF)

Slides: source, HTML

This introductory session will include presentations and discussion to situate text encoding within the context of scholarly digitization projects. We'll address questions including:

• What is digitization? what is text encoding?
• What do they accomplish and how do they change our relationship to scholarly information?
• What are our research aims and how do different kinds of materials support them?

10:30–11:00 Break

11:00–12:00 Session 2: About the Text Encoding Initiative (JF)

Slides: source, HTML

This session will provide some background on the TEI and its role as a community standard in the digital research landscape, including issues of:

• Mission and impact
• Scope
• How it affects us

12:00–1:00 Lunch

1:00–2:00 Session 3: Basics of XML (SB)

Slides: source, HTML

This session will introduce the basic concepts of XML and the essentials of using the <oXygen/> XML editor.

2:00–2:30 Break

2:30–5:30 Session 4: Basics of TEI markup (JF, SB)

Slides: source, HTML

Handout: source, HTML, PDF

In this session we'll go over the basics of TEI markup, looking at simple encoding examples, and then doing hands-on practice encoding sample texts (or texts brought by participants) using templates provided.

Saturday, April 18

9:00–10:30 Session 5: Advanced markup concepts for scholarship (JF)

Slides: source, HTML

This session will include presentations and discussion on encoding some features of particular importance for scholarly usage, including:

• variant readings
• manuscript transcription
• critical apparatus
• critical commentary and annotation
• overlapping structures

10:30–11:00 Break

11:00–12:00 Session 6: Document analysis and hands-on practice (JF)

In this session we'll discuss the process of document analysis and its role in project development, and then continue with hands-on practice.

12:00–1:00 Lunch

1:00–2:00 Session 7: Metadata and contextual information (JF)

Slides: source, HTML

This session will include presentations and discussion of the TEI methods for representing contextual information, such as biographical, bibliographic, or geographical context.

2:00–2:30 Break

2:30–5:30 Session 8: Hands-on practice and CSS

Slides: source, HTML

Handout: source, HTML

This session will focus on more encoding practice, working with the participants' own texts. We'll include a brief discussion of CSS for those who are interested, to enable participants to view styled versions of their encoded materials.

Sunday, April 19

9:00–10:30 Session 9: Customizing the TEI (SB)

Slides: source, HTML

This session will present the basic concepts of TEI customization, including questions of when customization is appropriate and necessary, and a demonstration of the TEI's tools for customization.

10:30–11:00 Break

11:00–12:00 Session 10: Hands-on practice

12:00–1:00 Lunch

1:00–2:00 Session 11: Project management (JF)

Slides: source, HTML

This session will include presentation and discussion of some of the significant issues in developing and managing scholarly text encoding projects, including:

• funding and sustainability
• staff and work flow
• institutional location and disciplinarity

2:00–3:00 Session 12: Final wrap-up, questions and discussion

Slides: source, HTML