From Concepts to Texts and Back: Operationalization as a Core Activity of Digital Humanities

This article puts operationalization as a research practice and its theoretical consequences into focus. As all sciences well humanities areas use concepts to describe their realm of investigation, digital projects are usually faced with the challenge ‘bridging gap’ from (whose meaning(s) depend on certain theory which used expectations, hypothesis results) results derived data. The process developing methods bridge this gap is called ‘operationalization’, it common task for any kind quantitative, formal, or analysis. Furthermore, choices have long-lasting consequences, they (obviously) influence that can be achieved, and, in turn, possibilities interpret these terms original question. However, even though so important common, rarely reflected. Because operationalized cannot isolation, operationalizing not only an engineering implementation challenge, but touches core questions we work on, fields in. In article, first clarify need operationalize selected, representative examples, situate within typical DH workflows, highlight decisions have. We will then argue plays such crucial role needs take off practices. Based assumptions, develop scheme constraints necessities reflect epistemic consequences.