The panel will bring together historian authors of monographic works that seek to take full advantage of the digital environment to advance scholarly arguments in ways that could never be accomplished in a conventional print book. These projects are associated with Brown University Digital Publications (BUDP), which provides institutional infrastructure and developmental support, and partners with leading university presses that provide rigorous academic review and disseminate the digital publications as part of their lists. Publications produced to date have rapidly demonstrated reach and impact that far outstrips what is normally expected from conventional print runs and review timelines. Established with support from the Mellon Foundation, BUDP has recently, with support from NEH, expanded its work to assist faculty authors from less well-resourced institutions.

Panelists represent a range of historical subfields, institutions, and career levels. Their projects engage with a wide variety of topics, source materials, and historical methods. Some projects are completed and others are in the process of being developed. The session in no way suggests that print monographs, a format tested over centuries, are on their way out as an effective vehicle for historical understanding. Rather, it is to recognize that it is possible to pursue forms of historical exploration that require capabilities beyond what print can offer. The session aims at provoking discussion about the intersections between ongoing epistemological and methodological developments in the practice of historical scholarship, the opportunities technology presents for conducting and conveying research, and the legibility of such work within the profession.