Transforming scholarship in the archives through handwritten text recognition: Transkribus as a case study

Transforming scholarship in the archives through handwritten text recognition: Transkribus as a case study. Muehlberger, G., Seaward, L., Terras, M., Ares Oliveira, S., Bosch, V., Bryan, M., Colutto, S., Déjean, H., Diem, M., Fiel, S., Gatos, B., Greinoecker, A., Grüning, T., Hackl, G., Haukkovaara, V., Heyer, G., Hirvonen, L., Hodel, T., Jokinen, M., Kahle, P., Kallio, M., Kaplan, F., Kleber, F., Labahn, R., Lang, E. M., Laube, S., Leifert, G., Louloudis, G., McNicholl, R., Meunier, J., Michael, J., Mühlbauer, E., Philipp, N., Pratikakis, I., Puigcerver Pérez, J., Putz, H., Retsinas, G., Romero, V., Sablatnig, R., Sánchez, J. A., Schofield, P., Sfikas, G., Sieber, C., Stamatopoulos, N., Strauß, T., Terbul, T., Toselli, A. H., Ulreich, B., Villegas, M., Vidal, E., Walcher, J., Weidemann, M., Wurster, H., & Zagoris, K. Journal of Documentation, 75(5):954–976, September, 2019.

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Purpose An overview of the current use of handwritten text recognition (HTR) on archival manuscript material, as provided by the EU H2020 funded Transkribus platform. It explains HTR, demonstrates Transkribus , gives examples of use cases, highlights the affect HTR may have on scholarship, and evidences this turning point of the advanced use of digitised heritage content. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopts a case study approach, using the development and delivery of the one openly available HTR platform for manuscript material. Findings Transkribus has demonstrated that HTR is now a useable technology that can be employed in conjunction with mass digitisation to generate accurate transcripts of archival material. Use cases are demonstrated, and a cooperative model is suggested as a way to ensure sustainability and scaling of the platform. However, funding and resourcing issues are identified. Research limitations/implications The paper presents results from projects: further user studies could be undertaken involving interviews, surveys, etc. Practical implications Only HTR provided via Transkribus is covered: however, this is the only publicly available platform for HTR on individual collections of historical documents at time of writing and it represents the current state-of-the-art in this field. Social implications The increased access to information contained within historical texts has the potential to be transformational for both institutions and individuals. Originality/value This is the first published overview of how HTR is used by a wide archival studies community, reporting and showcasing current application of handwriting technology in the cultural heritage sector.

@article{muehlberger_transforming_2019,
	title = {Transforming scholarship in the archives through handwritten text recognition: {Transkribus} as a case study},
	volume = {75},
	issn = {0022-0418},
	shorttitle = {Transforming scholarship in the archives through handwritten text recognition},
	url = {https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JD-07-2018-0114/full/html},
	doi = {10.1108/JD-07-2018-0114},
	abstract = {Purpose
              
                An overview of the current use of handwritten text recognition (HTR) on archival manuscript material, as provided by the EU H2020 funded
                Transkribus
                platform. It explains HTR, demonstrates
                Transkribus
                , gives examples of use cases, highlights the affect HTR may have on scholarship, and evidences this turning point of the advanced use of digitised heritage content. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
              
            
            
              Design/methodology/approach
              This paper adopts a case study approach, using the development and delivery of the one openly available HTR platform for manuscript material.
            
            
              Findings
              
                Transkribus
                has demonstrated that HTR is now a useable technology that can be employed in conjunction with mass digitisation to generate accurate transcripts of archival material. Use cases are demonstrated, and a cooperative model is suggested as a way to ensure sustainability and scaling of the platform. However, funding and resourcing issues are identified.
              
            
            
              Research limitations/implications
              The paper presents results from projects: further user studies could be undertaken involving interviews, surveys, etc.
            
            
              Practical implications
              
                Only HTR provided via
                Transkribus
                is covered: however, this is the only publicly available platform for HTR on individual collections of historical documents at time of writing and it represents the current state-of-the-art in this field.
              
            
            
              Social implications
              The increased access to information contained within historical texts has the potential to be transformational for both institutions and individuals.
            
            
              Originality/value
              This is the first published overview of how HTR is used by a wide archival studies community, reporting and showcasing current application of handwriting technology in the cultural heritage sector.},
	language = {en},
	number = {5},
	urldate = {2020-01-02},
	journal = {Journal of Documentation},
	author = {Muehlberger, Guenter and Seaward, Louise and Terras, Melissa and Ares Oliveira, Sofia and Bosch, Vicente and Bryan, Maximilian and Colutto, Sebastian and Déjean, Hervé and Diem, Markus and Fiel, Stefan and Gatos, Basilis and Greinoecker, Albert and Grüning, Tobias and Hackl, Guenter and Haukkovaara, Vili and Heyer, Gerhard and Hirvonen, Lauri and Hodel, Tobias and Jokinen, Matti and Kahle, Philip and Kallio, Mario and Kaplan, Frederic and Kleber, Florian and Labahn, Roger and Lang, Eva Maria and Laube, Sören and Leifert, Gundram and Louloudis, Georgios and McNicholl, Rory and Meunier, Jean-Luc and Michael, Johannes and Mühlbauer, Elena and Philipp, Nathanael and Pratikakis, Ioannis and Puigcerver Pérez, Joan and Putz, Hannelore and Retsinas, George and Romero, Verónica and Sablatnig, Robert and Sánchez, Joan Andreu and Schofield, Philip and Sfikas, Giorgos and Sieber, Christian and Stamatopoulos, Nikolaos and Strauß, Tobias and Terbul, Tamara and Toselli, Alejandro Héctor and Ulreich, Berthold and Villegas, Mauricio and Vidal, Enrique and Walcher, Johanna and Weidemann, Max and Wurster, Herbert and Zagoris, Konstantinos},
	month = sep,
	year = {2019},
	pages = {954--976},
}

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