The Development of Digital Documentary Editing Platforms

The four-and-a-half-day course focused on introducing students to many of the editorial issues that arise when contemplating a digital edition. For example, the main tasks of editing, selection, transcription, annotation, and research are changed when the materials are presented in a digital platform. The pros and cons of various digital edition platforms and the tactics editors need to use to adapt them, focusing on TEI/XML, Drupal, Omeka, WordPress, and Scalar, were also discussed. Through description, demonstration, and analysis, the course helped students decide between platforms by focusing on the goals of their edition and the nature of their documents.