Speaker: Michael Stanley-Baker, Nanyang Technological University

Join us for an illuminating workshop hosted by the Digital China Initiative (DCI) and the China Biographical Database Project (CBDB), showcasing the innovative DocuSky platform. Developed by the Research Center for Digital Humanities at National Taiwan University, this online platform is ingeniously designed to cater to the intricate demands of humanities scholarship. Under the expert guidance of Professor Michael Stanley-Baker from Nanyang Technological University, participants will delve into the bespoke tools and services offered by DocuSky. These include a diverse range of digital resources, analytical tools, and tailored services essential for the organization and examination of research materials.

This workshop will feature a diverse set of digital research tools designed for the historical study of Chinese medicine.  At their core is the full-text corpus database hosted in DocuSky, which will be the primary focus of the presentation.  We will examine the post-search classification feature, and how it allows users to parse through thousands of query returns in an exploratory way, oscillating between macro-scale data patterns, and micro-scale close reading, to come to a synthetic vision and analysis of specific research questions.

The advantage of digital tools go beyond acquiring more data.  Such overviews should afford insights which prompt new questions we might not have asked before. DocuSky does more than provide answers, it stimulates new inquiry, and provides the means to explore further.

Speaker’s bio:

As an adept historian in Chinese Medicine and Religion, Professor Stanley-Baker’s expertise spans from the early Imperial period to contemporary Sinophone communities. His work intricately weaves together cultural knowledge in Chinese medicine with varied disciplines such as religion, botany, trade, modern biology, and policy. His methods range from meticulous textual analysis and interviews to cutting-edge digital humanities techniques.

Professor Stanley-Baker’s remarkable contributions to the field are evidenced by his editorial leadership in significant publications and his development of numerous digital humanities projects. His innovative creations include digital mappings of ancient Chinese medical texts and the Polyglot Medicine Knowledge Graph, a pioneering digital resource connecting traditional and modern medicinal knowledge across cultures. The project won the 2nd runner-up for Best Dataset in DH Awards 2023.

With a rich academic background that includes a PhD from the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London, an MA from Indiana University, and a clinical degree in Chinese medicine, Professor Stanley-Baker is a fount of knowledge. His esteemed research appointments across the globe have solidified his reputation as a leading light in the intersection of traditional knowledge and digital innovation.

If you want to participate in the workshop activities, please register for a DocuSky account at https://docusky.org.tw/DocuSky/home/?l=en