Filtering the “News”: Uncovering Morphine's Multiple Meanings on Delpher’s Dutch Newspapers and the Need to Distinguish More Article Types

Abstract

The current categorization of digitized newspaper archives prevents optimal use of the range of newspaper article types. Drawing examples from close reading research into the reputation of morphine in Dutch newspapers from 1880-1914, this article discusses how further specifying the article types can benefit different ways of historical research into digitized newspapers. Based on this discussion, the article argues that the interface of Delpher should allow researchers to search specifically for headings. Furthermore, the semi-automatic categorization of article types based on headings and matching newspaper sections should also be investigated, supported by crowd sourcing and niche sourcing.