Manuell-hermeneutische Forschung als Goldstandard: Zur Kalibrierung digitaler Analysetools in den Digital Humanities

Abstract

The development of digital text analysis tools is a sophisticated and challenging endeavor. Traditional hermeneutic intertextuality research has established itself as a highly effective benchmark for the meticulous calibration and validation of computer-assisted methods used in identifying quotations and allusions. A comprehensive collection of previous citation discoveries is termed a gold standard. This standard embodies the present state of scholarly knowledge and serves as an essential baseline for these digital tools. To ensure optimal and compatible outcomes within the Digital Humanities, these analytical tools are calibrated against this gold standard in order to apply them to less extensively studied works and author combinations. The efficacy of a gold standard as a benchmark for calibration largely hinges on the quality of the associated scholarly literature and the rigor of its compilation. Therefore, the gold standard itself must be the focus of ongoing critical evaluation. This article explores the intertextual comparison of Jerome’s letters with the complete works of Virgil and Cicero, showcasing the gold standard as a pivotal reference in the calibration and evaluation of digital tools. It delves into the conceptual foundations and definitions necessary for a robust gold standard. It also establishes guiding principles for the compilation and creation of an effective gold standard, summarized under the VIATE principle. Furthermore, the article addresses the challenges encountered in transitioning from manual hermeneutic methods to digital research and introduces a digital-ready citation concept. This concept demonstrates the ambivalent simplification of hermeneutic classification strategies for intertextual references, illustrated through specific text passages. The dynamic productivity of methodological shifts from manual-hermeneutic approaches to digital analysis – and vice versa – is highlighted not only by the vast scalability of text corpora analyzable through digital routines but also through critical discussions of existing research paradigms and ongoing reflections on the concepts of citation and intertextuality.