Özet:

Purpose: In today’s digital humanities research, the main data/information sources used by researchers are collections consisting of digitized documents and data with high resolution, along with machine-readable and actionable metadata associated with these collections. The purpose of this research is to determine the needs and expectations of digital humanities researchers for “collections as data” and to find out to what extent cultural memory institutions meet these needs and expectations. Method: Qualitative methods were used within the scope of the research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 digital humanities researchers and 16 representatives of cultural memory institutions. The researchers and the representatives of the institutions were asked 20 and 23 questions, respectively, and all interview records were transcribed and their contents were analyzed using MaxQDA, a qualitative data analysis software. Findings: Researchers need access to collections as datasets in machine-readable and machine-actionable formats. While there are a few institutions that can share their collections through protocols or upon request, no institution has yet made their collections available in machine-readable and actionable formats suitable for computational access. To convert their collections, institutions need qualified staff, budget, technical infrastructure, administrative support, cooperation, time, and guidelines. Implications: In order for institutions to organize metadata, digitize collections, and make them accessible to researchers as collections as data, they should create awareness in this regard, receive technical, administrative and financial support, and train qualified personnel. Originality: This study is the first of its kind that identifies the needs, expectations, and barriers regarding the “collections as data” service in Turkey from the perspectives of researchers and cultural memory institutions.

Anahtar Kelimeler: