Make it explicit: Documenting interpretations of literary fictions with conceptual formal models – MITE

MITE is a two-years research project funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) through the PRIN 2022 PNRR call.

Our goal is to establish the foundational principles for documenting and analyzing observational data in the human sciences. This includes hypothetical and partial data produced through various research methodologies and conceptual systems. Specifically, we focus on the interpretation of female characters in some episodes of Medieval Italian Literature across different epochs and cultures.

To achieve this, we propose a formal framework based on ontological modeling to provide a conceptual setting for representing and analyzing literary interpretational data resulting from literary scholarship and criticism. This framework will also introduce a novel approach to characterizing literary characters, intersecting philosophy, literary studies, and criticism.

Through a comprehensive study on the modeling of observational data, MITE aims to support the creation of a novel generation of computational artefacts to enable the documentation, analysis, and sharing of diverse critical perspectives, reflecting the pluralism of debates in research.

To learn more about the project’s initiatives, stay updated with MITE’s progress and explore additional information available on the website!

  • Two talks by Gaia Tomazzoli

    Between October and November Gaia Tomazzoli is presenting MITE at two international venues: Congresso internazionale La donna/le donne in Dante October 24-26, 2024, Universitat de Barcelona, Facultat de Filologia i Comunicació & Lugano, Istituto di Studi Filologici e Danteschi Un modello formale per le pratiche interpretative: il caso dei personaggi femminili delle opere dantesche The…

  • Talk by Michele Paolini Paoletti in Milan

    ‘Language, Ethics, & Fiction’ Seminar Series sponsored by LEMMings (UNIMI) Department of Philosophy University of Milan 31 October 2024 2-4pm Michele Paolini Paoletti (University of Macerata) “The Identity of Ficta and the Place of Authors and Interpreters” Identity criteria for fictional entities (or ficta, in short) typically have the following form: necessarily, ficta x and…

  • MITE at AIUCD

    Last May MITE’s team gathered in Catania to present a poster at the annual conference of AIUCD (Associazione per l’Informatica Umanistica e la Cultura Digitale): it was a great venue and a thought-provoking event! The proceedings are now published in open access: you can download the full volume here, and look for our paper! Emilio…

  • MITE at SWODCH 2024

    We will be presenting MITE, along with research results related to the project, at the upcoming 4th International Workshop on Semantic Web and Ontology Design for Cultural Heritage (SWODCH 2024), taking place from October 30–31, 2024, in Tours, France. Check out the program here! And many thanks to the workshop chairs for inviting us!

  • Letteratura delle donne, letteratura sulle donne. Ricerche in corso

    Gaia Tomazzoli’s upcoming presentation at Letteratura delle donne, letteratura sulle donne. Ricerche in corso, organized by Sapienza Università di Roma and Università di Studi della Tuscia, February 9th, 2024. Description of the event: Venerdì 9 febbraio, con inizio alle ore 9.30, presso il laboratorio Arata, al IV piano della Facoltà di Lettere, si svolgerà il…

  • Letteratura e intelligenza artificiale

    We are pleased to present our research on MITE at the upcoming workshop, Letteratura e intelligenza artificiale: Un dialogo interdisciplinare. The workshop will take place at Sapienza University of Rome on September 16, 2024. Please see the attached program for details. The workshop will be streamed live on the YouTube channel of the Department of…

  • Upcoming publications

    Fresh and recent publications/presentations about the project: – Michele Paolini Paoletti: The Identity of Fictional Entities and the Place of Authors. Talk at the European Society for Aesthetics (ESA 2024), 6-8 June, 2024, Naples, Italy. – Emilio M. Sanfilippo, Claudio Masolo and Roberta Ferrario: Literary Characters and Interpretation Practices. Talk at the European Society for…

  • Special Issue of «Humanities»

    The Interpretation of Fictional Characters in Literary Texts: History of Literary Criticism, Philosophy and Formal Ontologies A Special Issue of the open-access journal «Humanities», guest edited by M. Paolini Paoletti, E.M. Sanfilippo, G. Tomazzoli This Special Issue of Humanities (link) aims to foster reflection on fictional characters in literary texts and the interpretive practices associated…

  • MITE Research Seminars

    Upcoming research seminars in the context of the MITE project will feature prominent scholars in the fields of literary studies, philosophy, and computer science. Visit this page for more information on the calendar!    

  • Hot from the press!

    MITE’s first publication is out! In 2023 we took part in the 13th FOIS (Formal Ontology in Information Systems) international conference, and the proceedings are now online and available in open access! Emilio M. Sanfilippo, Antonio Sotgiu, Gaia Tomazzoli, Claudio Masolo, Daniele Porello, Roberta Ferrario, Ontological Modeling of Scholarly Statements: A Case Study in Literary…