The goals of the Institute are to foster basic research in the Humanities and related areas that contribute to our knowledge and understanding of our political, social, and cultural heritage and to explore and lead the way in adapting computer technology to textual processing and production.
The Institute supports projects in scholarly editing, textual study, and bibliography with facilities, equipment, assistance, and shared expertise. It seeks to provide state-of-the-art computer systems for processing, editing, and production of accurate texts and research tools.
At present faculty members in the departments of English, History and School of Music Fellows receive assistance with the conduct and funding of various research projects from outside institutions. Current projects include digital editions of novels, letters, and short-term research, which ranges from editions of medieval English poems and Renaissance historians. Publishers of Institute research include prominent presses both at home (Ohio University Press, Kent State University Press) and abroad (Oxford University Press).