Author: Dr Megan Gooch is Head of the Centre for Digital Scholarship at the Bodleian Libraries and Director of DHOxSS.
“The best week of the year for digital humanists.”1
I have the privilege of running the Digital Humanities @ Oxford Summer School (DHOxSS), which is a gathering of digital humanists to learn new skills and make new networks that has happened every year in Oxford since 2010.
My first interaction with DHOxSS was typical of many of our attendees – I’d got some research funding and plans to learn some new digital skills to help me achieve my research aims. I looked at DHOxSS and thought it looked a bit pricey and it didn’t offer a course on what I needed. Looking back, I wish I’d spent the money and learned Python (sorry to the R fans out there!). Working with the DHOxSS team of event managers, convenors and speakers, as well as meeting former participants – I know I missed out on something amazing not attending DHOxSS 2018!
Photo credit: Digital Humanities @ Oxford Summer School 2025. Drinks reception in Blackwell Hall, Weston Library.
A week dedicated to learning
When you sign up to DHOxSS you choose a strand to follow for the whole week. This isn’t like a conference where you dip in and out of sessions. You spend the whole week dedicated to your particular topic, or half a week for online strands. Options vary from year to year but include things like learning Python from scratch, advanced Python or TEI (Text Encoding), or more thematic strands such as an Introduction to Digital Humanities or Humanities Data. For the last few years we’ve had an online strand looking at library issues in digital humanities with Research Libraries UK. We’ve also covered topics like crowdsourcing, Linked Data, digital cultural heritage, AI and creative industries and more in the past.
Our strand convenors are expert academics or practitioners from Oxford and many of our partner institutions across the globe – this year’s convenors hail from the Bodleian Libraries, Cambridge University Library, the Alan Turing Institute, University of Luxembourg, Oxford e-Research Centre, RLUK, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, School of Advanced Studies, Oxford IT Services and Humanities Division. And then there are the guest speakers! Most strands have guest slots from leading experts, and we also have two amazing keynotes every year. I haven’t attended a keynote yet that I haven’t scrawled copious notes in my undigital notebook.
A week with other digital humanists
A week (or half a week online) of learning is intense. So it’s great that our participants get to work and learn in small groups. Onsite we get to know each other during the breaks and at our welcome reception or optional Oxford walking tour and gala dinner. Online we have tried to build mechanisms to bring that element of networking into your home or workplace. Watch out for speed networking in 2026 – we’ll report back as to how it went.
DH for everyone
To make DHOxSS viable we have to charge for it, but we don’t make a profit. We run on an annual budget and have to make the case every single year for the continued existence of DHOxSS. We also have to balance that budget. This is why we charge, but I know we offer exceptionally good value for money for a week (or half for online) of learning, and a lifetime of DH connections.
Since the Covid pandemic forced us, like everyone, online in 2020, we’ve maintained at least one online strand for DHOxSS, and kept it at an accessible price point. In case you’re wondering, we run the online strands as wholly digital rather than hybrid, cos we tried that, read your feedback, and we know that non-hybrid gives the best learning experience.
But we know that price can still be a barrier. This is why we run a bursary scheme every year. We use surplus in our budgets to fund more bursaries, and have been active in seeking sponsorship and funding to fund more bursaries.
DH forever
I always bump into someone who did DHOxSS whenever I’m at a DH conference and I love to hear their stories about what they’re doing now. Some are working in digital libraries, some are doing DH degrees, some are doing exciting new projects. Members of my team who started their DH journeys at DHOxSS are now convenors of it. That’s the kind of impact I can get behind.
Join us at DHOxSS
Find out more about joining us, and click to register from here.
Sign up here to hear about next year’s bursary opportunities.
If you’re interested in supporting our work financially, please get in touch.
1. According to one of our convenors!