Re-Creating the Reader: Supporting Active Reading in Literary Research
The understanding of literary works is a highly creative
yet constrained process focused on examining and articulating
the possible intentions of the authors [7].
The active reading project is motivated by the potential of
electronic editions to enhance creative activities in
literary studies. We use "active reading" to refer
to how a reader's individual interpretation of a literary
work is influenced by its textual variants, and how the
reader may take on the role of editor in their choice of
variants. The objective of the work is to better understand
and support this creative process within literary studies. We
look to enabling end user creativity within a domain that is
strongly reliant upon experience, contextual knowledge and
peer feedback. Hence, a valid role for support technology
exists for helping users create and articulate novel
interpretations as part of literary studies. The outcome for
the end user, as an active reader, will be improved
interactive mechanisms for developing innovative literary
interpretations that are articulated in the form of novel
textual editions. A holistic-practice-based approach is being
adopted in order to establish the rich literary context in
which active reading takes place. The work involves close
collaboration with experts and educators in the field of
literature from the Shakespearean period.