Hyperdocumentation: The Many Ramifications of a Prolific Concept, from HyperOtlet to Hyperdocumented Journalism
Olivier Le Deuff and Rayya Roumanos, Université Bordeaux Montaigne
This talk presents the HyperOtlet project, showing the epistemological interest of working on concepts coined by Paul Otlet in order to understand the continuities and discontinuities in research topics, particularly in the field of information science. We describe and explain the scope of the concept of hyperdocumentation, looking at its evolution in order to better demonstrate its relevance for software development as well as for understanding new genres and formats, especially in the journalism field.
In the first part of the talk, we will present and discuss two tools of knowledge management developed during the HyperOtlet project: Otletosphère and Cosma.
In a second part, we will focus on the emergence of new journalistic forms that explore facts through data and combines fragmented elements to generate an interactive device that puts documents at the center of the story. Looking at three examples of such formats, all dealing with police violence in the US and in France: The Counted (The Guardian, 2015), Allo Place Beauvau (Mediapart, 2019) and Police Brutality in BLM Protests (Forensic Architecture, 2020), we will show how they all fall under the definition of a hyperdocument. We will also elaborate on this editorial and cultural shifts whereby documents and data are no longer the supporting elements in a news story but the story itself.
This seminar will be held both online & in person. You are welcome to join us either in South Hall or via Zoom.
For in-person participants
Face masks are strongly recommended, but not required.
For online participants
Online participants must have a Zoom account and be logged in. Sign up for your free account here. If this is your first time using Zoom, please allow a few extra minutes to download and install the browser plugin or mobile app.
Olivier Le Deuff is an assistant professor in information science and communication studies at Bordeaux Montaigne University and at IUT Bordeaux Montaigne. He is particularly interested in the field of documentation and digital information in the digital humanities. He is the author of several books, essays and short stories, including Digital Humanities: History and Development and Hyperdocumentation, and a blog Le Guide des Egarés.
Rayya Roumanos is an associate professor at Bordeaux Montaigne University. She is the director of studies of the Institute of Journalism Bordeaux Aquitaine (IJBA) where she teaches media studies, multimedia reporting and data journalism. Her research focuses on the digital transformation of journalistic forms and practices. She leads a research project on the impact of algorithms on news production and consumption in the Aquitaine Region.
The speakers will be available on campus during the week April 18–22. Their visit is funded by a grant from the France-Berkeley Fund to support a collaboration with Michael Buckland and Paul Duguid on the history and theory of documentation.
Contact
If you have questions about this event, please contact Michael Buckland.
