Edo Storm wins the Digital History Thesis Award
This academic year, Edo Storm won the award for the best thesis in Digital History, in the research master thesis category. Edo recently graduated from the RMA programme History.
The winning thesis
In his thesis, Edo traces the shift in meaning of the concept 'Western' in the Netherlands over a hundred years, from the late nineteenth century to the end of the Cold War. He uses quantitative text analysis methods, which he applies to a large corpus of digitalised newspapers. In doing so, he shows that the concept 'western' shifted from a cultural notion to one with gradually stronger political connotations.
The jury verdict: 'highly original and ambitious'
Not only does the thesis excel in originality and in its scope, Edo's work stands out because of the way he connects different methods. He combines a close reading of Johan Huizinga's book Geschonden wereld (1945) with an extensive digital analysis of newspaper articles. By doing this he demonstrates - remarkably for a History student - impressive programming skills, the jury said.
» Read the full jury report
» Read the Centre for Digital Humanities' interview with Edo
What is the Digital History Thesis Award?
The Digital History Thesis Award is presented by the Department of History and Art History. The award aims to stimulate digital history research among students. The best bachelor thesis receives €500, and the best master and research master thesis €750 each. Your thesis is eligible for the prize if you successfully apply digital methods or techniques.
Last year, Suzanne Ros won the award with her thesis on the origins of the term Anthropocene and its transition from geology to the other sciences, the public debate and beyond.