Scholars are natural annotators, as the process of creating new knowledge requires building on what has come before. For decades web pioneers have imagined developing such a native and universal collaborative capability over the web. Annotation, particularly scholarly annotation, is distinct from current commenting systems in that annotations are addressed to a specific portion of a scholarly work, such as a statement, an object in an image, or a gene sequence. Engineered for the web and employing open standards, annotation becomes a ubiquitous and powerful layer on top of web content, allowing users to add to and interact over scholarly works in context. And, like the web itself, annotations are dynamic, sharable, and searchable across contexts.
In the last few years, web annotation has finally become a reality. Platforms such as Hypothesis allow users to create annotations on any web page or PDF. The W3C, the standards body for the web, has standardized web annotation, which means that an open standard for developing annotations is now available for web developers.
In this course, we will provide an introduction to web-based annotation and explore its current uses. We will also offer hands-on tutorials directed toward both those interested in annotation itself and developers who want to incorporate annotation into their platforms. After the introductory part of the course, students may split into one of two tracks: a non-technical track that will provide hands-on training with the Hypothesis platform, or a technical track, where technologists can learn how to use Hypothesis and the W3C standard for more-advanced annotation applications.
Proposed level: Intermediate. After the course introduction, students may follow a non-technical track or a technical track.
Intended audience: Anyone interested in open web annotation, technologists developing annotation applications.
