HANDS-RX2: Handwritten Archival Data Structuring with Recognition Extra squared

Public Summary
HANDS-RX2 explores how small communities in the global south can make large-scale automatic transcription and data enrichment both feasible and affordable. Building on previous projects, the project will digitize and transcribe Sint Maarten’s civil records, extracting entities such as names, dates, and occupations to create an open database. The project tests open-source alternatives to costly commercial tools, aiming to maintain high quality while reducing expenses. By providing clear documentation and involving local citizen scientists, HANDS-RX2 supports sustainable, independent transcription efforts in small island settings of the Dutch Caribbean.

Institutions

Radboud University | International Institute of Social History | University of St. Martin

Keywords

Handwritten text recognition; Caribbean history; Open data; Entity recognition