The traditional view of humanities scholars is of the patient worker toiling away alone in archives or on manuscripts. Has the growth and spread of digital humanities challenged that view?

A new report, Reinventing research? Information practices in the humanities, shows that these perceptions are outdated, and that humanities scholars are "working with new tools and technologies, in increasingly collaborative environments, and both producing and using information resources in diverse ways."

A key finding is that humanities researchers need help from technology specialists on how to use the new tools and services that will facilitate their research. For example, statisticians can help them make sense of material gleaned from data mining. They also need on-going IT support to stay informed and to learn new skills.

The report, from the Research Information Network, presents a number of case studies that show the shift in emphasis digital research has fostered. The case studies include:

• Old Bailey Online
• Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music
• Corpus Linguistics
• The Digital Republic of Letters