The Viral Texts Project delves into the networks of textual reprinting across 19th-century newspapers and periodicals. The main objective is to illuminate the mechanisms by which literary, political, scientific, economic, and religious writings gain prominence during this period. By analyzing the textual data from these publications, the project seeks to uncover the processes through which ideas and information circulated, largely unrestricted by intellectual property constraints.
Key features of the project include:
- Data Access: The project provides a dynamic platform for exploring reprinting networks through clusters.viraltexts.org.
- Publications & Research: It encompasses a broad range of academic contributions, including computational analyses and interpretive studies that examine the transmission of ideas.
- Collaborations: Noteworthy collaborations, such as the examination of racial violence in the United States (1863–1921), further enrich the project’s scope.
- Funding & Support: This initiative is supported by Northeastern University, with additional funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies.