Call for papers DHASA Conference 2023
Theme: “Digital Humanities for Inclusion”
The Digital Humanities Association of Southern Africa (DHASA) is pleased to announce its fourth conference, focusing on the theme “Digital Humanities for Inclusion.” In a region where the field of Digital Humanities is still relatively underdeveloped, this conference aims to address this gap and foster growth and collaboration in the field. The conference offers an opportunity for researchers interested in showcasing their work in the broad field of Digital Humanities to come together. By doing so, the conference provides a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art in Digital Humanities, particularly within the Southern Africa region. As such, we welcome submissions related to Digital Humanities research conducted by individuals from Southern Africa or research focused on the geographical area of Southern Africa.
Furthermore, the conference serves as a platform for information sharing and networking among researchers passionate about Digital Humanities. By bringing together experts working on Digital Humanities in Southern Africa or with a focus on Southern Africa, we aim to promote collaboration and facilitate further research in this dynamic field. In addition to the main conference, affiliated workshops and tutorials will be organized, providing researchers with valuable insights into novel technologies and tools. These supplementary events are designed for researchers interested in specific aspects of Digital Humanities or seeking practical information to enter or advance their knowledge in the field.
The DHASA conference welcomes interdisciplinary contributions from researchers in various domains of Digital Humanities, including, but not limited to, language, literature, visual art, performance and theatre studies, media studies, music, history, sociology, psychology, language technologies, library studies, philosophy, methodologies, software and computation, and more. Our goal is to cultivate an inclusive scientific community of practice within Digital Humanities.
Suggested topics include the following:
- Digital archives and the preservation of marginalized voices;
- Intersectionality and the digital humanities: exploring the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and class in digital research and activism;
- Activism and social change through digital media: how digital humanities tools and methodologies can be used to promote inclusion;
- Engaging marginalized communities in the creation and use of digital tools and resources;
- Exploring the role of digital humanities in decolonizing knowledge and promoting indigenous perspectives;
- The ethics of data collection and analysis in digital humanities research related;
- The role of digital humanities in promoting inclusive and equitable pedagogy;
- Digital humanities and inclusion in the context of global perspectives and international collaborations;
- Critical approaches to digital humanities and inclusion: examining the limitations and possibilities of digital tools and methodologies in promoting inclusion; and
- Collaborative digital humanities projects with non-profit organizations, community groups, and cultural institutions;
- Any other digital humanities-related topic that serves the Southern African community.
Submission Guidelines
The DHASA conference 2023 asks for three types of submissions:
- Long papers: Authors may submit long papers consisting of a maximum of 8 content pages and unlimited pages for references and appendix. The final versions of accepted long papers will be granted an additional page (up to 9 pages) to incorporate reviewers’ comments.
- Short papers: Authors may submit short papers with a maximum of 5 content pages and unlimited pages for references and appendix. The final versions of accepted short papers will be allowed an extra page (up to 6 pages) to accommodate reviewers’ comments. Short papers accepted for the conference will be presented as posters.
- Abstracts: Authors can submit abstracts of 250-300 words.
We particularly encourage student submissions where the first author is a student.
All submissions should adhere to the JDHASA style guide. The style guide is available for in Word, ODT, and LaTeX formats. Please ensure that all submissions are in PDF format.
All accepted long and short paper submissions that are presented at the conference will be published in the Journal of Digital Humanities Association of Southern Africa, see https://upjournals.up.ac.za/index.php/dhasa. In addition, the abstracts of all accepted submissions will be published in a book of abstracts before the conference.
Important dates
Abstract submission deadline: 22 August 2023
Submission deadline: 29 August 2023
Date of notification: 30 September 2023
Camera-ready copy deadline: 6 November 2023
Conference: 27 November 2023 – 1 December 2023
Conference format: Face-to-face
Conference venue: Nelson Mandela University, Eastern Cape South Africa
NOTE: Non-presenting delegates have the option to attend online.
Co-located events
Several co-located events are currently being prepared, including workshops and tutorials. More information will be made available soon.
Organizing Committee
- Johannes Sibeko, Nelson Mandela University
- Aby Louw, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
- Alan Murdoch, Nelson Mandela University
- Amanda du Preez, University of Pretoria
- Andiswa Bukula, South African Centre for Digital Language Resources
- Andiswa Mvanyashe, Nelson Mandela University
- Avashna Govender, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
- Gabby Dlamini, Nelson Mandela University
- Ilana Wilken, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
- Jonathan van der Walt, Nelson Mandela University
- Laurette Marais, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
- Mukhtar Raban, Nelson Mandela University
- Nomfundo Khumalo, Nelson Mandela University
- Nosiphiwo Mazaleni, Nelson Mandela University
- Menno Van Zaanen, South African Centre for Digital Language Resources