There is a pressing need to offer this professional development opportunity for humanities researchers—and to amplify and to further expand the range of voices and perspectives represented in born-digital scholarly publication.

By making the digital publication process more accessible and inclusive, transparent and practical, Born-Digital Scholarly Publishing: Resources and Roadmaps, through training and mentoring, will foster the elevation of underrepresented voices and subject matter, thereby diversifying both scholarship and readership in the digital humanities.

Born-digital, multimodal monographs offer meaningful advantages over traditional publishing formats, allowing authors to articulate and advance scholarly ideas through innovative uses of digital tools and/or data as well as interactive, media-rich enhancements in ways that are not possible in a conventional book. And while there is growing support for this pathbreaking approach to scholarship on the part of disciplinary organizations, grantmaking organizations, and university presses, the majority of scholars have largely been on their own when it comes to producing a born-digital monograph. Quite simply, there is no “how to” manual or comprehensive training opportunity for what is a complex, rapidly evolving endeavor. Yet many scholars—especially early career scholars—are forging ahead, eager to pursue novel, compelling modes of presenting their research and engaging readers.

group photo of the 2022 NEH cohort at Brown University Library

Developing a born-digital, enhanced publication is very different from planning a conventional book.

Even if scholars embark on the process with advanced training in the digital humanities, the path to publication can seem overwhelming. Scholars must sort out issues unique to digital publication, such as the incorporation of multimedia materials, the integration of design and narrative, and the use of flexible reading pathways, and authors can expect limited hands-on input from the majority of publishers, who are grappling with other issues surrounding digital publication, such as peer review, contract language, marketing, and preservation. For all stakeholders, but especially for scholars, the learning curve is extremely steep.

“The Institute served as the catalyst I needed to kickstart my research agenda … The cohort model was instantly disarming and supportive. Alongside new friends and colleagues from across the country, I shaped my digital manuscript, chapter by chapter! … As a direct result of the encouragement that I received during the Institute, I have an invitation to submit my manuscript proposal and sample chapters to one of the publishers who served on the Institute faculty! I am so pleased that this Institute bolsters the credibility for digital publishing as a scholarly form.”

— La Tanya L. Rogers, Associate Professor of Literature & Drama and Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Honors Program at Fisk University