The Digital Orientalist
@digitalorientalist.bsky.social
https://digitalorientalist.com
Dedicated to discovering and sharing insights on digital humanities in an inclusive environment! Join us・انضم إلينا・参加しませんか・bize katıl・kasance tare damu. 🗃️ 🌐
Dedicated to discovering and sharing insights on digital humanities in an inclusive environment! Join us・انضم إلينا・参加しませんか・bize katıl・kasance tare damu. 🗃️ 🌐
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Inspired by what you read? 👉 submit your piece to the DO!
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We regularly publish overviews of available digital sources in our sub-disciplines. If you're a student or teacher of South Asian, Central Asian, or East Asian languages and civilizations, check out our latest guides:
(links below⬇️)
(links below⬇️)
February 15, 2026 at 5:13 PM
We regularly publish overviews of available digital sources in our sub-disciplines. If you're a student or teacher of South Asian, Central Asian, or East Asian languages and civilizations, check out our latest guides:
(links below⬇️)
(links below⬇️)
In our new blog post, @xiaolidh.bsky.social introduces a new series on her AI chatbot designed to support spoken Chinese learning. The tool offers real-time feedback in a low-pressure setting, but human evaluation remains essential. AI enhances learning but doesn’t replace teachers.
Link below⬇️
Link below⬇️
February 13, 2026 at 4:43 PM
In our new blog post, @xiaolidh.bsky.social introduces a new series on her AI chatbot designed to support spoken Chinese learning. The tool offers real-time feedback in a low-pressure setting, but human evaluation remains essential. AI enhances learning but doesn’t replace teachers.
Link below⬇️
Link below⬇️
In recent years, Marcije Kurzynski has written four posts for us on LLMs in Chinese studies: from the pitfalls of Chinese tokenization to RAG in university teaching and Transformer-based stylometry of Cantonese writers. He also reflects on global #DH beyond the “China and the West” divide.
Links ⬇️
Links ⬇️
February 11, 2026 at 12:50 PM
In recent years, Marcije Kurzynski has written four posts for us on LLMs in Chinese studies: from the pitfalls of Chinese tokenization to RAG in university teaching and Transformer-based stylometry of Cantonese writers. He also reflects on global #DH beyond the “China and the West” divide.
Links ⬇️
Links ⬇️
In our new blog post, James Morris (Waseda University) shares a follow-up to his experiment using DuckDuckGo instead of Google for research purposes. James highlights several advantages of using DuckDuckGo: AI-free research, easy country-switching, fewer advertisement
Linke below⬇️
Linke below⬇️
February 10, 2026 at 3:23 PM
In our new blog post, James Morris (Waseda University) shares a follow-up to his experiment using DuckDuckGo instead of Google for research purposes. James highlights several advantages of using DuckDuckGo: AI-free research, easy country-switching, fewer advertisement
Linke below⬇️
Linke below⬇️
Over the years, Miyagawa So (University of Tsukuba), one of DO’s most prolific contributors, has written extensively on digital initiatives related to various ancient African languages and scripts, including Demotic, Egyptian Hieratic, Coptic, and Nubian.
Read more on our blog ⬇️
Read more on our blog ⬇️
February 9, 2026 at 12:29 PM
Over the years, Miyagawa So (University of Tsukuba), one of DO’s most prolific contributors, has written extensively on digital initiatives related to various ancient African languages and scripts, including Demotic, Egyptian Hieratic, Coptic, and Nubian.
Read more on our blog ⬇️
Read more on our blog ⬇️
Check out our newsletter for February 2026 !
us14.campaign-archive.com?u=cd5d1b663f...
In addition to our regular blog posts, this issue features the proceedings of the DO’s 2025 conference, “AI and the Digital Humanities.”
Announcements for upcoming #digitalhumanities
events ⬇️
us14.campaign-archive.com?u=cd5d1b663f...
In addition to our regular blog posts, this issue features the proceedings of the DO’s 2025 conference, “AI and the Digital Humanities.”
Announcements for upcoming #digitalhumanities
events ⬇️
February 8, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Check out our newsletter for February 2026 !
us14.campaign-archive.com?u=cd5d1b663f...
In addition to our regular blog posts, this issue features the proceedings of the DO’s 2025 conference, “AI and the Digital Humanities.”
Announcements for upcoming #digitalhumanities
events ⬇️
us14.campaign-archive.com?u=cd5d1b663f...
In addition to our regular blog posts, this issue features the proceedings of the DO’s 2025 conference, “AI and the Digital Humanities.”
Announcements for upcoming #digitalhumanities
events ⬇️
In our new blog post, Brian Tsz Ho Wong showcases how to use the 帝国議会会議録検索システム (Database System for the Minutes of the Imperial Diet) to study modern East Asian history based on his recent article in the Financial History Review.
Read more on our blog:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/02/06/p...
Read more on our blog:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/02/06/p...
February 6, 2026 at 7:17 PM
In our new blog post, Brian Tsz Ho Wong showcases how to use the 帝国議会会議録検索システム (Database System for the Minutes of the Imperial Diet) to study modern East Asian history based on his recent article in the Financial History Review.
Read more on our blog:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/02/06/p...
Read more on our blog:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/02/06/p...
Reposted by The Digital Orientalist
The Digital Orientalist February 2026 Newsletter! mailchi.mp/2f3a6bc3f10d... @digitalorientalist.bsky.social
February 5, 2026 at 7:34 PM
The Digital Orientalist February 2026 Newsletter! mailchi.mp/2f3a6bc3f10d... @digitalorientalist.bsky.social
Over the years, @rohanchn.bsky.social (University of Delhi & @visithmml.bsky.social ) has written a series of technical tutorials guiding us through OCR/HTR tasks: using eScriptorium and Kraken for transcribing Indic scripts, and Aksharamukha for transliterating across 120+ scripts.
Links below⬇️
Links below⬇️
February 5, 2026 at 10:06 AM
Over the years, @rohanchn.bsky.social (University of Delhi & @visithmml.bsky.social ) has written a series of technical tutorials guiding us through OCR/HTR tasks: using eScriptorium and Kraken for transcribing Indic scripts, and Aksharamukha for transliterating across 120+ scripts.
Links below⬇️
Links below⬇️
📢 Call for Participation: Transcribathon on Ottoman Arabic Court Registers
Our contributor Ilyes Mechentel (@unibe.ch) is organizing a transcribathon dedicated to Arabic sources. If you are interested, please contact mohamed.mechentel@unibe.ch !
📅 20 Feb 2026
🏛️ University Bern & Online
Link below⬇️
Our contributor Ilyes Mechentel (@unibe.ch) is organizing a transcribathon dedicated to Arabic sources. If you are interested, please contact mohamed.mechentel@unibe.ch !
📅 20 Feb 2026
🏛️ University Bern & Online
Link below⬇️
February 3, 2026 at 5:51 PM
📢 Call for Participation: Transcribathon on Ottoman Arabic Court Registers
Our contributor Ilyes Mechentel (@unibe.ch) is organizing a transcribathon dedicated to Arabic sources. If you are interested, please contact mohamed.mechentel@unibe.ch !
📅 20 Feb 2026
🏛️ University Bern & Online
Link below⬇️
Our contributor Ilyes Mechentel (@unibe.ch) is organizing a transcribathon dedicated to Arabic sources. If you are interested, please contact mohamed.mechentel@unibe.ch !
📅 20 Feb 2026
🏛️ University Bern & Online
Link below⬇️
In our new blog post, Adrien de Jarmy ( @unistra.fr ) and Clarck Junior Membourou Moimecheme ( @sorbonnenouvelle.bsky.social ) introduce the BADR Project “Writing and Memory of the Battle of Badr (7th–21st c.)”, which uses TEI-XML, relational database, and quantitative visualization tools.
Link⬇️
Link⬇️
February 3, 2026 at 5:30 PM
In our new blog post, Adrien de Jarmy ( @unistra.fr ) and Clarck Junior Membourou Moimecheme ( @sorbonnenouvelle.bsky.social ) introduce the BADR Project “Writing and Memory of the Battle of Badr (7th–21st c.)”, which uses TEI-XML, relational database, and quantitative visualization tools.
Link⬇️
Link⬇️
Over the years, Helen Giunaishvili (Ilia State University) has written four posts on the digitization of Georgian and Persian manuscripts preserved at Georgia’s Korneli Kekelidze Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts.
Read more on our blog ⬇️
Read more on our blog ⬇️
February 2, 2026 at 1:51 PM
Over the years, Helen Giunaishvili (Ilia State University) has written four posts on the digitization of Georgian and Persian manuscripts preserved at Georgia’s Korneli Kekelidze Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts.
Read more on our blog ⬇️
Read more on our blog ⬇️
Our latest blog post by Adrian Plau presents the digitization project of Sinhala and Pali manuscripts at the Wellcome Collection. The project uses TEI for cataloguing and aims to be the Sri Lankan equivalent of Fihrist for Islamicate manuscripts and SAMHiTA for South Asian manuscripts.
Link below⬇️
Link below⬇️
January 30, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Our latest blog post by Adrian Plau presents the digitization project of Sinhala and Pali manuscripts at the Wellcome Collection. The project uses TEI for cataloguing and aims to be the Sri Lankan equivalent of Fihrist for Islamicate manuscripts and SAMHiTA for South Asian manuscripts.
Link below⬇️
Link below⬇️
Reposted by The Digital Orientalist
Advanced #HTR for #Arabic significantly enhances Arabic #codicology. By automating the transcription of diverse scripts it allows us to analyze material features and scribal habits. Also, greater digital legibility means deeper insights into the physical and intellectual history of #manuscript.🔎
January 29, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Advanced #HTR for #Arabic significantly enhances Arabic #codicology. By automating the transcription of diverse scripts it allows us to analyze material features and scribal habits. Also, greater digital legibility means deeper insights into the physical and intellectual history of #manuscript.🔎
For #TBT this week, we’re revisiting Ilyes Mechentel’s (@unibe.ch ) two-part posts on the research history of Handwritten Text Recognition for Arabic texts in France. The posts survey past and ongoing research projects, including Callfront, Kraken, CALFA, and other research initiatives.
Link below⬇️
Link below⬇️
January 29, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Reposted by The Digital Orientalist
Le travail de l'ErC Langarchiv, dirigé par @camillelefebvre.bsky.social (EHESS/CNRS, IMAF) et plus particulièrement l'engagement dans la diffusion des connaissances sur les acteurs africains par Wikipedia sont à l'honneur dans ce billet :
January 28, 2026 at 5:41 AM
Le travail de l'ErC Langarchiv, dirigé par @camillelefebvre.bsky.social (EHESS/CNRS, IMAF) et plus particulièrement l'engagement dans la diffusion des connaissances sur les acteurs africains par Wikipedia sont à l'honneur dans ce billet :
In our new post, @transcrireada.bsky.social introduces the work of the Langarchiv project at IMAF Paris, which trains graduate students to write Wikipedia articles on African intellectuals and historical sources, addressing the encyclopedia's uneven representation of African history.
Link below ⬇️
Link below ⬇️
January 27, 2026 at 3:18 PM
In our new post, @transcrireada.bsky.social introduces the work of the Langarchiv project at IMAF Paris, which trains graduate students to write Wikipedia articles on African intellectuals and historical sources, addressing the encyclopedia's uneven representation of African history.
Link below ⬇️
Link below ⬇️
Reposted by The Digital Orientalist
私が大会委員長を務めました、令和7年5月開催の『The Digital Orientalist @digitalorientalist.bsky.social 』誌主催国際会議「AI and the Digital Humanities for the Study of Asia, Africa, and Oceania」のプロシーデイングス無料Web公開が進んでいます。今回は、神戸大学の清原萌歌先生による「Suggesting a Language-Specific Gender Perspective for AI Translation Research」です!
In our latest blog post, Moeka Kiyohara (University of East Anglia) discusses the relationship between gender-specific speech styles (女ことば and 男ことば) in Japanese and English-to-Japanese machine translation.
Read more on our blog:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/01/23/s...
Read more on our blog:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/01/23/s...
January 23, 2026 at 4:11 PM
私が大会委員長を務めました、令和7年5月開催の『The Digital Orientalist @digitalorientalist.bsky.social 』誌主催国際会議「AI and the Digital Humanities for the Study of Asia, Africa, and Oceania」のプロシーデイングス無料Web公開が進んでいます。今回は、神戸大学の清原萌歌先生による「Suggesting a Language-Specific Gender Perspective for AI Translation Research」です!
In our latest blog post, Moeka Kiyohara (University of East Anglia) discusses the relationship between gender-specific speech styles (女ことば and 男ことば) in Japanese and English-to-Japanese machine translation.
Read more on our blog:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/01/23/s...
Read more on our blog:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/01/23/s...
January 23, 2026 at 3:09 PM
In our latest blog post, Moeka Kiyohara (University of East Anglia) discusses the relationship between gender-specific speech styles (女ことば and 男ことば) in Japanese and English-to-Japanese machine translation.
Read more on our blog:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/01/23/s...
Read more on our blog:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/01/23/s...
and with it, your reminder that you can write for the #DO as guest contributor any time!
We want to publish your work! All info here digitalorientalist.com/submit-your-...
We want to publish your work! All info here digitalorientalist.com/submit-your-...
January 21, 2026 at 2:39 PM
and with it, your reminder that you can write for the #DO as guest contributor any time!
We want to publish your work! All info here digitalorientalist.com/submit-your-...
We want to publish your work! All info here digitalorientalist.com/submit-your-...
#tbt #otd 2022: a #guestpost by Ulrich Rebstock and Marvin Müller, introducing the AABC – African Alphabets of the Bayreuth Cluster, an application to provide a common linguistic base for all kinds of communication and transfer of information about African vernacular affairs
Check it out 👇
Check it out 👇
January 21, 2026 at 2:37 PM
#tbt #otd 2022: a #guestpost by Ulrich Rebstock and Marvin Müller, introducing the AABC – African Alphabets of the Bayreuth Cluster, an application to provide a common linguistic base for all kinds of communication and transfer of information about African vernacular affairs
Check it out 👇
Check it out 👇
Our latest blog post by Enes Yılandiloğlu presents a computational pipeline for Ottoman Turkish spatial data. From extracting place names with NER to mapping toponyms, Enes highlights hurdles like the absence of punctuation and the complexities of geographic disambiguation.
Link below⬇️
Link below⬇️
January 20, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Our latest blog post by Enes Yılandiloğlu presents a computational pipeline for Ottoman Turkish spatial data. From extracting place names with NER to mapping toponyms, Enes highlights hurdles like the absence of punctuation and the complexities of geographic disambiguation.
Link below⬇️
Link below⬇️
#OnThisDay
On 2024 Jan 19, Maddalena Poli @madpoli.bsky.social shared with us several new online resources and databases for the study of ancient Chinese manuscripts, including 戰國竹簡全文資料庫, 中國古代簡帛字形辭例數據庫 , 開放古文字字型庫, and 漢語多功能字型庫.
Read more:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2024/01/19/o...
On 2024 Jan 19, Maddalena Poli @madpoli.bsky.social shared with us several new online resources and databases for the study of ancient Chinese manuscripts, including 戰國竹簡全文資料庫, 中國古代簡帛字形辭例數據庫 , 開放古文字字型庫, and 漢語多功能字型庫.
Read more:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2024/01/19/o...
January 19, 2026 at 12:04 PM
#OnThisDay
On 2024 Jan 19, Maddalena Poli @madpoli.bsky.social shared with us several new online resources and databases for the study of ancient Chinese manuscripts, including 戰國竹簡全文資料庫, 中國古代簡帛字形辭例數據庫 , 開放古文字字型庫, and 漢語多功能字型庫.
Read more:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2024/01/19/o...
On 2024 Jan 19, Maddalena Poli @madpoli.bsky.social shared with us several new online resources and databases for the study of ancient Chinese manuscripts, including 戰國竹簡全文資料庫, 中國古代簡帛字形辭例數據庫 , 開放古文字字型庫, and 漢語多功能字型庫.
Read more:
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2024/01/19/o...
Our latest blog post summarizes the proceedings of The Digital Orientalist’s Virtual Conference 2025. This year’s materials include both written papers and video recordings!
Find out more: 🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/01/16/a...
Find out more: 🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/01/16/a...
January 16, 2026 at 6:18 PM
Our latest blog post summarizes the proceedings of The Digital Orientalist’s Virtual Conference 2025. This year’s materials include both written papers and video recordings!
Find out more: 🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/01/16/a...
Find out more: 🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2026/01/16/a...
#onthisday
Following up Zach Butler's new post for us yesterday, a year ago, in his post on January 14th 2025, Zach introduced to us Apatosaurus, a tool created by David Flood (Harvard) for creating, editing, visualizing, and analyzing digital apparatus.
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2025/01/14/a...
Following up Zach Butler's new post for us yesterday, a year ago, in his post on January 14th 2025, Zach introduced to us Apatosaurus, a tool created by David Flood (Harvard) for creating, editing, visualizing, and analyzing digital apparatus.
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2025/01/14/a...
January 14, 2026 at 1:31 PM
#onthisday
Following up Zach Butler's new post for us yesterday, a year ago, in his post on January 14th 2025, Zach introduced to us Apatosaurus, a tool created by David Flood (Harvard) for creating, editing, visualizing, and analyzing digital apparatus.
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2025/01/14/a...
Following up Zach Butler's new post for us yesterday, a year ago, in his post on January 14th 2025, Zach introduced to us Apatosaurus, a tool created by David Flood (Harvard) for creating, editing, visualizing, and analyzing digital apparatus.
🔗 digitalorientalist.com/2025/01/14/a...