src.doc.ic.ac.uk (Directory: literary/collections/Online-
Book-Initiative)
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a non-profit making project, rather
loosely based at the University of Illinois, to get as
much literature into machine readable form as possible
and available free. So far, it consists of a quite
diverse collection of material, ranging from Paradise
Lost (two versions) to Edgar Rice Burroughs' Princess of
Mars.
Available via the gophers at dewey.lib.ncsu.edu and
riceinfo.rice.edu (or chico.rice.edu).
ftp address: mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu
directory: etext
Once you have got to the directory etext, you have a
choice of directories to go into, with names like
etext91, etext92, articles (from the mailing list - see
below). There is also an index to the contents of these
directories - the `Autoindex' entitled 0INDEX.GUT.
See also the current Gutenberg newsletter, which is
available over BUBL, section SBA, and which you will get
over e-mail from time to time if you join the Gutenberg
discussion group).
If you want to join the Gutenberg discussion group, just
send a mail message containing the line SUB GUTNBERG
FIRSTNAME LASTNAME (where FIRSTNAME LASTNAME is your own
firstname and lastname) to LISTSERV@UIUCVMD.BITNET (or
LISTSERV@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU)
Some other ftp sites carry some or all of the Gutenberg
texts.
simtel20.army.mil
wuarchive.wustl.edu
deneva.sdd.trw.com
nptn.org
quake.think.com
(Directory: pub/etext in above cases.)
oes.orst.edu
(Directory: pub/almanac/etext)
Other FTP Sites
Many ftp sites carry various texts from Gutenberg, obi,
and other sources. Shakespeare and scriptural works
(especially the Bible and the Qu'ran) are pretty much
ubiquitous. Various sites (not always consistently
available) you could try include:
ocf.berkeley.edu (directory: pub/Library)
relay.cs.toronto.edu (directory: docs)
info.umd.edu (directory: info)
5. Dictionaries
OED 2nd edition on CD-ROM
Runs under Windows 3
Enquiries to:
Janet Caldwell,
Customer Service Manager,
Electronic Publishing,
Oxford University Press,
Walton Street,
OXFORD,
OX2 6DP.
Tel: 0865 267979
Fax: 0865 56646
Word Lists
ftp: ftp.cs.vu.nl (192.31.231.42)
Directory: dictionaries
In addition, various dictionaries and thesauri can be accessed
interactively over the Internet. Using Gopher is probably the
easiest way; as an example, try the Virtual Reference Desk
(see below).
6. Lists of Files and Projects
Georgetown University, Academic Computer Center, Center
forText and Technology
Creates some etexts itself and produces a catalogue of
projects in electronic texts in the humanities.
Catalogue obtainable by either by:
(1) Sending mail message GET PROJECTS ETEXTS HUMANIST to
LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BITNET (or LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU)
or
(2) Using by ftp to contact GUVAX.GEORGETOWN.EDU.
Change to directory cpet_projects_in_electronic_text.
You then have a choice of the files for different
subjectareas you can get.
or
(3) by gopher. Go directly by typing gopher
gopher.georgetown.edu, or, from another gopher client,
get to a screen that says something like
"Other Gopher and Information Sources", then go through
the sequence
North America
USA
Washington, D.C.
Georgetown University
(For online consultation telnet to GUVAX3.GEORGETOWN.EDU;
type CPET at username prompt).
Address: Georgetown Center for Text and Technology
Academic Computer Center
238 Reiss Science Building
Georgetown University
Washington
DC 20057
Tel: (202) 687-6096
Fax: (202) 687-6003
Email: NEUMAN@GUVAX.BITNET (or
NEUMAN@GUVAX.GEORGETOWN.EDU), or
MFRIEDMAN@GUVAX.GEORGETOWN.EDU.
National Centre for Machine Readable Texts in the Humanities
Producing Inventory of machine-readable texts.
For further details, contact:
email: CETH@ZODIAC.RUTGERS.EDU
or HOCKEY@ZODIAC.RUTGERS.EDU
or BOBH@PHOENIX.PRINCETON.EDU
Oxford Text Archive Catalogue
See section 4.1 above for instructions on accessing this.
Women Writers in English
Project to produce publications and provide a full-text
database of women writers 1330-1880.
For further details, contact:
Elaine Brennan,
Assistant Director, Women Writers Project,
Box 1841, Brown University,
PROVIDENCE, RI 02912
Tel: (401) 863-3619
e-mail: ELAINE@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU or WWP@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU
See section 9.2 below for details of associated
discussion group.
7. Making it easier
7.1 Using Gopher
The best way to learn how to use Gopher is simply to get on
the system and just browse around through the menus. You will
find that it is very easy to get through to virtually any
University system or library that you want to, usually by
several different routes. A few starting suggestions might be:
- from the Bradford gopher, (get to it by typing gopher
info.brad.ac.uk at your machine's user prompt) use the OTHER
INFORMATION SERVICES OPTION, then the WORLD WIDE LIBRARIES
option. From that screen, you can make telnet connections to
various Library catalogues, and also access several of the
electronic texts mentioned in section 4.2.2 above. Once you
have finished looking at a text file over Gopher, you will be
given directions at the bottom of the screen on how to
transfer it to your own local computer
- a very good source of general information is THE VIRTUAL
REFERENCE DESK, which you can access by typing gopher
mothra.nts.uci.edu 7000 or gopher peg.cwis.uci.edu 7000 (make
sure you include the 7000!), then choosing the option labelled
gopher.welcome, then PEG, then The Virtual Reference Desk
(note that there are two versions - choose the one that isn't
described as UCI specific).
- to use gophers to explore the Internet using a subject
approach, get onto the Yale Gopher by typing gopher
yaleinfo.yale.edu
Choose option entitled INTERNET RESOURCES, then, from the next
screen, the option entitled "Information Organization Attempts
- by subject". Of the options there, "Rice University" and
"Swedish Computer Network" are particularly useful; the former
is very good for accessing electronic texts.
(You can get onto the Rice gopher directly without going via
Yale by typing gopher riceinfo.rice.edu or gopher
chico.rice.edu from your machine's user prompt, and onto the
Swedish gopher by typing gopher sunic.sunet.se.)
Also, try the new one accessible by typing gopher
ukoln.bath.ac.uk (choose the option entitled "Information by
subject").
- if a menu item end with <?>, then choosing that menu
option allows you to type in a word or words that gopher will
look for in whatever files that menu option points towards.
- using the option VERONICA (try the implementation at the
Minnesota Gopher, which you can get onto by typing gopher
gopher.micro.umn.edu) allows you to type in a word or words
that gopher will look for in the terms on gopher menus all
over the Internet.
7.2 Using WAIS
The sources (i.e. databases) entitled "POETRY - index" and
"poetry" on the implementation accessible from option U on the
NISS menu provide access to poetry indexes and databases.
Other sources provide access to the Oxford Text Archive
catalogue ("ota"), the Gutenberg collection ("proj-
gutenberg"), and to various of the Internet guides and address
lists.
NISSWAIS (option C from the initial NISS screen) allows you to
search the BUBL bulletin board by subject.
The experimental NISSWAIS service (option Z1) allows you to
search the Oxford Text Archive catalogue, the text of
Shakespeare, and that of two of Dickens' Christmas books.
WAIS options are available over many gophers; other sources
are available over several of them, such as the backfiles of
Humanist (see below).
8. Organisations
Computers in Teaching Initiative (CTI) Centre for Textual
Studies
Address: Computers in Teaching Initiative Centre for
Textual Studies,
Oxford University Computing Services,
13 Banbury Road,
Oxford, OX2 6NN
Tel: 0865-273221
Fax: 0865-273275
E-mail: CTITEXT@UK.AC.OX.VAX
You can ask to be put on their mailing list. They produce
a very useful resource guide, and a journal Computers and
Texts. They are also unfailingly prompt and consistently
helpful in answering queries sent to them by e-mail.
Information Technology Training Initiative
(Details as for Computers in Teaching Initiative (CTI) Centre
for Textual Studies)
Office for Humanities Communication
(Details as for Computers in Teaching Initiative (CTI) Centre
for Textual Studies)
9. Electronic Discussion Groups and Bulletin Boards
There are scholarly discussion groups for almost every
academic subject. The way these work is that members send
messages, questions, contributions to discussions on an aspect
of the subject that are running, as e-mail messages to the
group address for everyone to read. A selection of the ones
most relevant to English Studies, together with how to join,
are listed below. If you join any of them, further
instructions will be sent you through e-mail, including
details as to how to look up subjects in the backfiles of
messages.
9.1 Directories and Guides
There are several lists of the many discussion lists that
currently exist, obtainable either or via BUBL (section D) or
over the Internet.
Directory of Electronic Journals and Newsletters.
Send email to LISTSERV@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA with message
GET EJOURNL1 DIRECTRY or get EJOURNL2 DIRECTRY
(using that spelling!).
Interest Groups.
Ftp: ftp.sura.net
directory: pub/nic
file: interest.groups
A List of Academic Discussion and Interest Groups / editor
Diane Kovacs. (Aka Directory of Scholarly electronic
conferences).
Ftp: nigel.msen.com
Directory: pub/gopher/stuff.old/mailing-lists/acadlist
Files: ACADLIST.FILE1 through to ACADLIST.FILE6
A printed edition of this is available, and it can also
be accessed using Gopher (get to the Virtual Reference
Desk).
9.2 Specific Groups
To subscribe to any of these groups, the procedure (unless
indicated differently) is to send an e-mail message to the
appropriate subscription address shown below, containing the
message:
SUBSCRIBE LISTNAME FORENAME SURNAME where LISTNAME is the name
indicated in the title column below, and FORENAME SURNAME is
your name
Title: ANSAX-L
Topic: Anglo-Saxon England
To subscribe send a direct message to Patrick W. Conner
U47C2@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU
Title: AUSTEN-L
Topic: Jane Austen and contemporaries
Subscription address: LISTSERV@MCGILL1.BITNET
Title: C18-L
Topic: 18th Century Studies
Subscription address: LISTSERV@PSUVM.PSU.EDU or
LISTSERV@PSUVM.BITNET
Title: ENGLMU-L
Topic: Electronic communication and literature
Subscription address: LISTSERV@MIZZOU1.BITNET or
LISTSERV@UMCVMB.MISSOURI.EDU
Title: GUTNBERG
Topic: Developments on Project Gutenberg
Subscription address: LISTSERV@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU or
LISTSERV@UIUCVMD.BITNET
Title: HUMANIST
Topic: Humanities and computing
Subscription address: LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU or
LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BITNET
A very useful list. To obtain material from the archive of
past messages:
Send by mail to LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU the message GET
HUMANIST FILELIST HUMANIST (to see what's available) or GET
FILENAME FILETYPE HUMANIST (to retrieve a file detailed on
such a list).
Archive of past material also available on WAIS as source
"humanist.src".
Title: HUMGRAD
Topic: Humanities (mainly aimed at pgs)
Subscription address: MAILBASE@UK.AC.MAILBASE
Send mail message join humgrad firstname lastname
Title: INTERSCRIPTA
Topic: Medieval literature
Subscription address: LISTSERV@MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA
Title: LITERA-L
Topic: Literature generally
Subscription address: LISTSERV@TECMTYVM.BITNET
Title: LITERARY
Topic: Literature generally
Subscription address: LISTSERV@UCF1VM.BITNET
(Both of the above two are rather general in tone)
Title: MEDTEXTL
Topic: Medieval Texts
Subscription address: LISTSERV@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU or
LISTSERV@UIUCVMD.BITNET
Title: MILTON-L
Topic: Milton
To subscribe, send a message to MILTON-REQUEST@URVAX.URICH.EDU
Title: MODBRITS
Topic: Modern British and Irish literature (1895-1955)
Enquiries to MODBRITS@KENTVM.KENT.EDU
Title: PERFORM
Topic: Medieval Performing Arts
Subscription address: LISTSERV@IUBVM.UCS.INDIANA.EDU or
LISTSERV@IUBVM.BITNET
Title: PERFORM-L
Topic: Performance critique theory
Subscription address: LISTSERV@ACFCLUSTER.NYU.EDU
Title: PMC-TALK
Topic: Post-modern culture
Subscription address: LISTSERV@NCSUVM.NCSU.EDU or
LISTSERV@NCSUVM.BITNET
Title: PSYART
Topic: Humanities and psychology
Subscription address: LISTSERV@NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU or
LISTSERV@NERVM.BITNET
Title: REED-L
Topic: Early English Drama
Subscription address: LISTSERV@VM.EPAS.UTORONTO.CA or
LISTSERV@UTORONTO.BITNET
Title: SCHOLAR
Topic: Natural language processing
Subscription address: LISTSERV@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU or
LISTSERV@CUNYVM.BITNET
Title: SCREEN
Topic: Film and Television
Subscription address: LISTSERV@UA1VM.UA.EDU or
LISTSERV@UA1VM.BITNET
Title: SHAKSPER
Topic: Shakespeare
Subscription address: LISTSERV@VM.EPAS.UTORONTO.CA or
LISTSERV@UTORONTO.BITNET
Title: VICTORIA
Topic: Victorian studies
Subscription address: LISTSERV@IUBVM.UCS.INDIANA.EDU
Title: WWP-L
Topic: Women's Writing
Subscription address: LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU or
LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BITNET
9.3 Electronic Journals and Newsletters
As yet, there are only a few of these of direct relevance to
literary studies. Two of the better known are:
Postmodern Culture
An interdisciplinary electronic journal of contemporary
literature, theory and culture.
To subscribe, send message SUBSCRIBE PMC-LIST FORENAME
SURNAME to LISTSERV@NCSUVM.NCSU.EDU or
LISTSERV@NCSUVM.BITNET
REACH - Research and Educational Applications of Computers in
the Humanities
Reach is the newsletter of the Humanities Computing
Facility of the University of California, Santa Barbara.
It is published four times a year.
To subscribe, send message to LISTSERV@UCSBVM.BITNET, or
REACH@UCSBVM.BITNET.
Back issues are available via ftp from ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu,
in directory hcf, or via ra.msstate.edu, directory
docs/history/newsletters; once in the relevant directory,
the relevant files begin with `reach'.
10. Text Analysis Programs
There are several programs that assist with analysis of texts
by detailing the occurrences of words or word groups in a
text, allowing you to see how often one word will appear in
close proximity to another, etc., so as to allow thematic
analysis.
The Resource Guide produced by the CTI Centre for Textual
Studies (see above) contains such a comprehensive list with
such full descriptions that there is little point in covering
the same ground in detail here. One well known and well
regarded program is called Tact; since it was developed in an
academic context (at the University of Toronto), it is
available free and may be distributed to and used by anyone.
It is possible to obtain it by ftp from EPAS.UTORONTO.CA (in
directory pub/cch/tact; download all files from directory dist
1.2.) However, it is virtually essential to have the manual
for serious work; so if you think you are going to use it
regularly, contact:
Dr Donald Spaeth,
CTI Centre for History,
University of Glasgow,
1 University Gardens,
GLASGOW, G12 8QQ.
Tel.: 041 339 8855 Ext.6336
Fax : 041 330 5000
email: CTICH@uk.ac.glasgow
They will send you a copy of the manual and the latest version
of the program for a nominal charge to cover photocopying and
disk costs.
Appendix: Examples for Beginners
1. Some Examples of using Telnet and Hytelnet
1.1. Telnet
(The following examples assume that you have a version of
telnet mounted on your own institution's mainframe. Consult
your Computer Centre to ascertain whether this is so. If it
is, also find out whether or not you need to include a path
name before the telnet command.)
Logon onto your institution's mainframe computer and type the
word telnet, followed by the telnet address of the place you
wish to log onto:
E.g.
telnet librot1.lib.unc.edu
to have a look at the catalogue of Duke University Library.
Telnet is much used to access North American academic library
catalogues, but it also allows us to look at anything on any
Internet connected computer that is available for public
display. For example, typing telnet guvax3.georgetown.edu,
then typing cpet when asked for a username, allows you to
search the catalogue of electronic text projects being
maintained by Georgetown University (perhaps best only to try
when you have some time; the database software Georgetown has
used is rather cumbersome!).
As an example of access to a system that both allows
interrogation of a library catalogue, plus some other files,
try the following:
Type telnet pac.carl.org. This will put you in contact with
the Colorado Alliance of Research Databases.
When asked whether you want to choose PAC or EXIT, choose the
former. You will then be asked to specify a terminal type.
Choose whatever is appropriate for the hardware you are using;
5.is a reasonably good bet
Investigate both "1, Library Catalogs" and the "3, Information
Databases". (You can move from the one to the other easily by
typing the appropriate number whenever an abbreviated version
of the list of options that appeared on the initial screen is
displayed on the top of subsequent screens.) When looking at
the "Information Databases", choose option "60, Choice Book
Reviews". The same search techniques are used in the Library
catalogue and book review files, and are clearly explained on
the screen.
1.2. Hytelnet
You can access the CARL and MELVYL systems directly from the
NISS Bulletin Board, and you can use the Hytelnet program to
get through to places you don't know the telnet addresses of.
If your mainframe computer has hytelnet mounted, type Hytelnet
from the prompt (you might have to change directory first;
consult your local Computing Centre). If you do not have
hytelnet mounted locally, it is possible to access it over
various gophers.
You use Hytelnet by working through a series of menus to get
to where you want. Use the up/down arrow keys on your
computer, between the main keyboard and the numeric keypad, to
move the highlighting to the option you want, then press
Return. Tapping the space bar allows you to move on a complete
screen at a time when a menu extends over more than one
screen. The left arrow key will move you back up through the
menus, and "m" is a very useful panic button which will always
get you back to the initial menu screen.
Try the following:
>From the initial menu screen, select "Other Resources". On
the next screen, choose "Databases and Bibliographies", then
"Dartmouth Dante Project". At this stage, Hytelnet will
automatically perform the telnet command which will put you in
contact with Dartmouth. Just before it performs any such
telnet operation, Hytelnet will tell you of any usernames or
passwords that you need to supply - and will tell you how to
get out of the system that you're about to log onto.
>From the initial menu screen, select "Other Resources". On
the following screen, choose the option "Electronic Books"