The Virtual Knowledge Studio aims to support researchers in the humanities and social sciences in the Netherlands in the creation of new scholarly practices, and to stimulate reflection on e-research. A core feature of the VKS is the integration of analysis and design in a close cooperation between social scientists, humanities researchers, information technology experts and information scientists. This integrated approach should provide insights in the e-research can contribute to new research questions and methods in the humanities and social sciences.

The VKS currently has 11 full time members, honorary and visiting fellows and collaborators in national, EU and international research and teaching projects.

Located at the Cruquiusweg, in the Eastern Docklands of Amsterdam, the VKS is hosted by the IISG, an institute of the KNAW.
The Erasmus Virtual Knowledge Studio, developed in partnership with the University of Rotterdam constitutes the first campus site and has begun its activities in the academic year 2006-2007.

Background

The VKS was officially launched on 11 October 2006.

A number of researchers in the VKS were working together in an earlier research group of the KNAW. This group called Network Research and Digital Information (Nerdi) was set up in 2001 in order to pursue a research programme entitled Knowledge production in the new digital networks. The group was expanded in the following years until the programme ended in July 2005.

The mission of the VKS is set out in the research programme written by Paul Wouters. The various members of Nerdi who contributed to the development of the proposal for the VKS are (in alphabetical order) Anne Beaulieu, Jenny Fry, Iina Hellsten, Matt Ratto, Andrea Scharnhorst, and Katie Vann.