Contextualising Texts: Enhancing the Research Potential of Buddhist Manuscript Material
Lead Research Organisation:
British Library
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
- British Library (Lead Research Organisation)
- Getty Center (Collaboration)
- China National Silk Museum (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (Collaboration)
- The Chung-hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Collaboration)
- School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Susan Whitfield (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Andrew Oswald (Author)
(2013)
IDP user Survey Report
Andrew Davidson (Author)
(2012)
Fred Henry Andrews
in Wikipedia
Andrew Gray (Author)
(2012)
Endere
in Wikipedia
Andrew Gray (Author)
(2012)
Farhad-beg-yailaki
in Wikipedia
Andrew Gray (Author)
(2012)
Balawaste
in Wikipedia
Andrew Gray (Author)
(2012)
1902 Otani Expedition
in Wikipedia
Andrew Gray (Editor)
(2012)
Saka language
in Wikipedia
Andrew West (Author)
(2012)
Tangutology
in Wikipedia
Andrew West (Author)
(2012)
List of Tangutologists
in Wikipedia
Charles Matthew (Author)
(2012)
Louis Vaillant
in Wikipedia
| Description | One of the primary benefits of this grant was enabling the development of enhanced networks, most especially the formation and consolidation of an IDP UK Academic Advisory Committee. This Committee, with members in history, archaeology, historical geography and art history from London, Birmingham and Nottingham universities, has proved very successful and productive. It continues to be strong and active with members and the PI teaching on Silk Road courses at each others institutions; advising on research students; facilitating Wikipedia Editathons at member HEIs; providing students for annual internships at IDP; ongoing discussions for joint research projects; and regular meetings to discuss the IDP resources, their dissemination and their potential exploitation in research. Applications are currently being considered at the BL for two PhDs with IDP under the CDP programme. The conference held at the start of the grant period involved all the network members and furthered their links with other scholars in the field worldwide. This and ongoing facilitation by IDP of discussion between researchers working on or interested in IDP resources has led to new and expanded research, covering isotopic analysis of glass found in Central Asia and China; comparisons of Bronze Age burial sites in Central Asia and Scandanavia; water management on the Silk Road; the links between Buddhist material culture and trade; and family life of monks on the Silk Road. Some of these have already resulted in lectures and papers. In addition, during the course of the grant a new partnership was started with the China National Silk Museum that will shortly result in additional online resources, joint research on Central Asia textiles and, it is hoped, collaboration with the National Museum of India (discussions in progress). Throughout the project we worked closely with students to give them the skills on resource creation for the web, including creation and editing of Wikipedia pages that relate to and enhance existing IDP online resources. We also considered their potential to act in place of or alongside traditional authority files. |
| Exploitation Route | The grant enabled discussions with researchers and developers on interfaces and online tools to exploit the IDP resources. As a result, IDP has been asked to join a partnership developing software tools for the research, cultural and education communities. The aim of the partnership is to create data-centric, self-supporting social enterprises, which generate sustainable funding sources for content holders and generate long-term support without relaying solely on grant capital and government funding. Also as a direct result of connections made during this grant period and of the enhanced resources created by the grant, IDP has been approached by a research foundation exploring climate change keen to work with IDP to exploit its data to map changes in the environment to inform current knowledge of climate change. Both these are being considered and would have a potential impact on all the sectors selected below. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Environment,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | http://idp.bl.uk/pages/technical_resources.a4d |
| Description | Model of Wikipedia editathons used by IDP colleagues in HE sector worldwide; user surveys and results of meetings re. interface used by colleagues in library and museum sector; digitised material on interfaces such as HistoryPin used across sectors. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | Chinese Zen Project: Collaboration to make xml editions of Chinese Buddhist texts linked to IDP images. |
| Organisation | The Chung-hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies |
| Country | Taiwan, Province of China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Production of digital images of Chinese Buddhist Zen manuscripts and their online access. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Production of xml catalogues related to the texts on the manuscripts. |
| Impact | Online digital resources |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Getty Exhibition: Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road |
| Organisation | Getty Center |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Help with selection and loan of Buddhist and other manuscripts; contributed research; essay for catalogue. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Mounting of a major exhibition and conference. |
| Impact | Exhibition, publication, podcast |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | IDP UK Academic Advisory Group |
| Organisation | School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Facilitator, |
| Collaborator Contribution | See report |
| Impact | Wikipedia Editathons; Exhibition at RGS; Online resources |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | IDP UK Academic Advisory Group |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Facilitator, |
| Collaborator Contribution | See report |
| Impact | Wikipedia Editathons; Exhibition at RGS; Online resources |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | IDP UK Academic Advisory Group |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Facilitator, |
| Collaborator Contribution | See report |
| Impact | Wikipedia Editathons; Exhibition at RGS; Online resources |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | IDP UK Academic Advisory Group |
| Organisation | University of Nottingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Facilitator, |
| Collaborator Contribution | See report |
| Impact | Wikipedia Editathons; Exhibition at RGS; Online resources |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | MoU on IDP |
| Organisation | China National Silk Museum |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Providing research input on Central Asian textiles; facilitating links with other partners worldwide |
| Collaborator Contribution | Providing research input on Central Asian textiles; facilitating links with other partners worldwide; cataloguing of textile material in the British Library. |
| Impact | Textile research and history: catalogues, research ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2013 |