Women and universities in El País (1977-2011): A methodological proposal for use of the ITCS for historical analysis

Abstract

The practice of historical research in recent years has been substantially affected by the emergence of the so-called digital humanities. New computer tools have been appearing, software systems capable of processing vast quantities of information in ways that until recently were inconceivable. Text mining and social network analysis techniques are sophisticated instruments that can help render a more enriching reading of the available data and draw useful conclusions. We reflect on this in the first part of this article, and then apply these tools to a practical case: quantifying and identifying the women who appear in university-related articles in the newspaper El País from its founding until 2011.