SKAITMENINIMAS KAIP MOKSLAS: BARISPROJEKTO PATIRTIS
DIGITIZATION AS SCIENCE: BARIS PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Summary/Abstract: The development of digital technologies is changing the processes of accumulation, storage, accountability and research of sources of humanitarian sciences and dissemination of scientific information. At the same time the role of institutions of humanitarian sciences and researchers in these processes is changing, as well as the public attitude to science and institutions protecting it. However, digitization in modern Llithuania is understood in purely practical aspect.Tthe subject of this article is digitization as scientific research. The aims of the article are the following: a) to answer the question whether digitization is able to have its own object of research, and if so, to present its definition; b) to encourage colleagues for scientific discussion about digitization not as practical but scientific activity; c) to present examples of studies that were carried out while implementing the BARIS project (Information system of church archives) relevant for digitization.It is claimed in the article that digitization is able to have its own object of scientific research and that object is emulativity – a specific human relationship with reality when human beings select objects from reality according to certain criteria and on their basis create emulative systems in digital space that imitate the activities of naturally existing systems. It is worth noticing that emulative systems are not copies of systems existing in reality – they are created in the way of recoding and are as much independent, dynamic and freely evolving systems as the ones they are imitating in reality.Emulativity is a specific phenomenon stimulated by computer-based technologies, appearance of virtual reality and the internet, and which can be studied in many different aspects, up to personal psychology. However, the article restricts itself by the emulativity part which is related to application of computer-based technologies in creation, preservation of heritage, humanitarian and social sciences. Tthe article presents the definition of the scientific object of digitization, its division into historical, fundamental and applied studies, links with other sciences and practical activities; discusses issues of terminology and methods, and presents examples of studies carried out while implementing the BARIS project (Information system of church archives).

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