Explanatory Annotation of Literary Texts and the Reader: Seven Types of Problems. Issue 2 (October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bauer, Matthias; Zirker, Angelika
• Is Part Of: International journal of humanities and arts computing. Volume 11:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 212
• Page End: 232
• Publication Date: 2017-10
• Subjects: annotation -- explanatory annotation -- reader -- reader reconstruction -- best practice -- literary texts -- hermeneutics -- information -- interpretation -- knowledge -- knowledge assumptions -- Tübingen -- Explanatory Annotation System (TEASys) -- John Donne -- William Shakespeare; Humanities -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Arts -- Data processing -- Periodicals; 001.30285
• DOI: 10.3366/ijhac.2017.0193
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1753-8548

Abstract

Abstract : While most literary scholars wish to help readers understand literary texts by providing them with explanatory annotations, we want to go a step further and enable them, on the basis of structured information, to arrive at interpretations of their own. We therefore seek to establish a concept of explanatory annotation that is reader-oriented and combines hermeneutics with the opportunities provided by digital methods. In a first step, we are going to present a few examples of existing annotations that apparently do not take into account readerly needs. To us, they represent seven types of common problems in explanatory annotation. We then introduce a possible model of best practice which is based on categories and structured along the lines of the following questions: What kind(s) of annotations do improve text comprehension? Which contexts must be considered when annotating? Is it possible to develop a concept of the reader on the basis of annotations—and can, in turn, annotations address a particular kind of readership, i.e.: in how far can annotations be(come) individualised?