Mini-Projects
For UCL and TUD students in research-methods modules.
- Duration
- A few weeks
- What it is
- Short, focused research tasks integrated with coursework.
Open for enquiries UCL × TU Darmstadt
Study & Supervision
Join an international lab working at the intersection of oral history, AI, and digital humanities.
We supervise Master dissertations, mini projects, placements, and PhD theses at UCL and TU Darmstadt. Our supervision combines empirical and computational methods — natural language processing, multi-modal analysis, knowledge graphs, network analysis — with the historical, archival, and hermeneutic study of how disciplines, memories, and digital infrastructures take shape. Enquire about a theme, and we’ll follow up if it’s a good fit.
Pathways
Three ways to work with us.
Dissertations
For Master and PhD candidates at UCL and TU Darmstadt.
- Duration
- 3 months (Master) to 4 years (PhD)
- What it is
- Full thesis with co-supervision from the lab.
Placements
For MA / Master Digital Humanities students at UCL and TU Darmstadt.
- Duration
- UCL MA / Master placement period
- What it is
- Embedded research role with a defined deliverable.
Research themes
Research themes we supervise.
We work across a few broad areas at the intersection of oral history, AI, and digital humanities. Each area can host projects at mini-project, dissertation, placement, or PhD level. Submit an enquiry, and if your interests are a good match we’ll share detailed briefs for the relevant area.
Ontology and Vocabulary for Oral History
Designing ontologies, controlled vocabularies, and classification systems that model the interpretative and multilingual character of oral history collections.
Enquire about this areaHuman-centred Artificial Intelligence
Designing, evaluating, and critically interpreting NLP and large language models for humanities content, with attention to ethics and interpretative judgement.
Enquire about this areaComputational Analysis of Oral History Recollection
Applying computational text analysis and network methods to oral history corpora and related archival sources, to study how individuals, communities, and ideas are remembered.
Enquire about this areaHistorical & Cultural Analysis
Mixed-methods study of the histories, networks, and “peoplescapes” of digital humanities and adjacent disciplines.
Enquire about this areaMulti-modality Data Processing and Analysis
Speech recognition, audio processing, video analysis, and the integration of transcript, sound, and image as a single interpretative surface.
Enquire about this areaKnowledge Graphs Infrastructure Construction
Designing knowledge graphs as research infrastructure for oral history: schema design, data integration, querying, and the tooling that lets others build on the corpus.
Enquire about this areaPropose your own topic
Have an idea that aligns with our lab’s interests but isn’t listed above? We welcome enquiries that propose original directions. Tell us about it via the form.
Tell us your ideaNo themes in this pathway yet. Try a different filter, or propose your own topic.
How it works
How to enquire.
Interested in a theme? Submit a short enquiry below. We review every enquiry, and where there’s a strong fit we reply with briefs on the relevant theme and an invitation to meet. Expect a personal response within five working days.
Submit enquiry
A short form: name, current affiliation, pathway interest, theme(s) of interest, 200-word motivation, optional CV upload, and expected start time.
We review your enquiry
We screen each enquiry against our current themes. If it’s a good match, we reply and send you briefs on the relevant theme.
Meet the team
We then arrange a 30-minute video meeting to talk through the theme and your fit. A decision follows shortly after.
We use enquiry data to review your interest and to understand demand for our supervision themes. See our privacy notice.
Alumni & current students
Past & current students.
Some of the students whose work has shaped the lab.
Zewei Liu
UCL DIS Work Placement · 2025
MA Digital Humanities, UCL
NLP-Driven Metadata Enrichment for Oral History Interviews
Contributed to the MeDoraH NLP pipeline by developing LLM-based keyword extraction for the Hidden Histories interview catalogue.
Gerald Ong
UCL DIS Work Placement · 2025
MA Digital Humanities, UCL
Enhancing Oral History Digital Collection with Omeka-S
Redesigned navigation, accessibility, and search affordances on the MeDoraH Omeka-S platform.
Sarah Jan
Master Project · TU Darmstadt · 2026
TU Darmstadt
OHMS Integration for the Hidden Histories Catalogue
Investigated integration of the Oral History Metadata Synchronizer (OHMS) with the MeDoraH Omeka-S platform.
And many short-term contributors whose work has shaped our tools and methods.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
What background do I need for the NLP and knowledge graph themes?
We particularly welcome students with prior coursework or project experience in natural language processing. A broader background in machine learning, information science, or digital humanities is also valuable. Beyond technical preparation, we look for students who can move fluently between computational and interpretative thinking.
What is the typical timeline from enquiry to offer?
We review each enquiry and send a personal response within 5 working days. If your interests are a good match, we’ll share briefs on the relevant theme and invite you to a 30-minute video meeting, then reach a decision within a further 5 working days.
Can I propose my own topic outside your listed themes?
Yes. Use the Propose your own topic option in the enquiry form. We’re open to topics that align with the lab’s broader interests in oral history, semantic web, NLP, and digital humanities historiography — even if they aren’t pre-listed.
I’m from a humanities background with limited coding experience. Can I still apply?
Yes. Several of our themes are well-suited to humanities-trained students who bring strong interpretative skills and are willing to learn computational methods alongside our team. We’ll discuss what’s realistic for your project scope during the enquiry conversation.
Can I work on a project remotely, or do I need to be on-site?
Most of our themes can accommodate hybrid or remote arrangements, though we recommend at least some on-site time at UCL or TU Darmstadt for supervision meetings, workshops, and team integration. We’ll agree on a working pattern with you at the start of the project.
How are projects supervised day-to-day?
You’ll have a primary supervisor and, where relevant, a day-to-day supervisor from the lab team. Most projects involve weekly 30-minute supervision meetings, plus ad-hoc support via email or Slack. We aim for a balance between structured guidance and independent research.
Do you accept visiting researchers and exchange students?
Yes, we welcome enquiries from visiting researchers, exchange students, and short-term collaborators whose interests align with our themes. Please indicate your status and intended duration in the enquiry form so we can advise on the appropriate arrangement.