OpenGulf is a research group that aims to study the past and present of the Gulf region through the lens of data.

We design workflows that respond to the challenges of our our transnational research teams working within and outside the academy on a variety of born-digital, digitized and non-digitized sources. We employ simple and accessible minimal methods and digital infrastructure that are reusable across multiple environments and by a variety of actors. This practice informs and enables our work with colleagues and students and aims to model and inspire research practices for other groups working under similar conditions.

A workflow is a sequencing of methods for preparing data sources, creating and manipulating data, or disseminating original datasets, [visualizations and analysis[(link to visualization). Workflows can be tricky business, since moving from a disparate set of tools and environments to an integrated pipeline means that we must address the requirements of each component (Seretan, 2019). Since we work with languages and geographies which existing platforms and tools have not considered, building workflows in a postcolonial space necessitates constant reflection and adaptation in light of the specificities of our research material. Moreover, in a knowledge production landscape that has become increasingly extractivist, OpenGulf is committed to methodical and granular forms of digital research that center human knowledge and reflection.

OpenGulf teams are heterogeneous within academic institutions: they include undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, academic staff with different skill sets and time horizons in relation to the teams. For example, undergraduates may engage with the research group for a single quarter or semester, while faculty and staff may engage for a period of years. We design workflows that respond to these various horizons: a 20-week program for undergraduates as part of a research internship, or much longer team-based data creation that allows researchers to contribute to a larger multi-year project. Some of these workflows are featured in simple documentation on our project site, balancing process and product. OpenGulf also experiments with developing iterative workflows that respond to the timelines and requirements of researchers outside the academy, including professionals in the GLAM sector, government and non-government research institutions, and community members with historical, spatial and network-based expertise to share with our projects.