Admission requirements
This course is an elective module for students on the MA Book and Digital Media Studies, or exchange students admitted to this programme. Students from other programmes are welcome to approach the course coordinator for admission, but this will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Description
This course focuses on developments relevant to the contemporary book, particularly with regard to how the circulation of text in digital form has disrupted and reshaped the goals and activities of publishers, libraries, and booksellers. It includes an in-depth examination of digital textual media and critically explores the impact of developments in the field of text mining and artificial intelligence in today’s book industry. The course offers on overview of how content is acquired, processed and disseminated, and critically examines the changing responsibilities and workflows of the publisher in the digital age, covering both academic and trade publishing contexts. The focus is additionally on the impact of digitisation on the objectives and the activities of libraries and booksellers. The guest lectures and panel discussions that are organised as part of the course offer students opportunities to interact with professionals in the field of publishing and cultural heritage. This course is designed to be of particular relevance for students who may wish to go on to work in the publishing sector, in an (academic) library, or pursue academic research in publishing studies/digital media.
Course objectives
Students
learn to understand the nature of publishing as a socio-cultural phenomenon, as well as the principles and practices of (the main fields within) the academic publishing industry;
acquire a long-term perspective on publishing, specifically in the context of the process of continuous change confronting the industry as a result of the rise of digital technologies;
develop a conceptual understanding of the various ways in which technologies such as text mining and on artificial intelligence can be used to analyse digital text;
develop an understanding of file formats, data sharing protocols and copyright issues;
are equipped to think about the effects of digitisation on research, society, cultural heritage organisations and booksellers;
learn to connect theoretical concepts and practical applications in the field of book and digital media studies, and express such analyses both in written and spoken form.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
Students need to give an oral presentation about the results of an individual research project and write an essay.
Weighing
Oral presentation in class: 25%
Final paper: 75%
To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
The resit consists of the same subtests as the first opportunity.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
A reading list will be provided at the start of the course.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration Exchange
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal.