Semantic CorA

Subject to the project Virtual Research Environment for Research in the History of Education with semantic Wiki technology, a virtual research environment was developed based on Semantic MediaWiki (SMW). This technology allows for a collaborative analysis of comprehensive digitised text corpora, and accessibility to members from the research community of educational historians. The virtual research environment was initially developed for the history of education, allowing for integrating digitised objects and their bibliographic metadata, to collaboratively analyse them both qualitatively and quantitatively, and thus connecting the concept of Linked Data research in the humanities. This eHumanities tool allows libraries to introduce results from their digitalization projects to scientific discourse (primary data). Direct semantic linkage of the digitised objects and outcomes of analyses can generate added value for the scientific chain of creating research value, and archiving is possible in integrated form. Semantic CorA supports the process of generating research findings by collaborative processes, offering a platform for the publication of findings – which thus also become resources for further research.

The virtual research environment „Semantic CorA" is a typical tool from the area of eHumanities. eHumanities (e as in "enhanced“ or “enabled“) targets the support for research in the humanities and  qualitative social sciences, usually based on digital infrastructures.

Semantic CorA is iteratively developed and directed towards research practice – including agile computing, stepwise open-source publication and participative design. Researchers themselves are engaged in its design and encouraged to actively participate.