My research topic "Studies on the effect of new technologies on literary spaces. Digitization of literature and its impact on canonization and rating processes" is a dissertation project, which contains diverse fields of content but is mainly situated in the Digital Humanities research area. Overall, my research is divided into three large main areas:

·         Digitization of literature
·         Canonization of literature
·         Evaluation of literature

In terms of studying how digitalization effects literature, it is important that these three main research areas are put in relation to each other in order to get solid research results. A major aspect of my investigation is based on the assumption that both, the selection of digitized literature and the quality of this digitized product, can be understood as rating processes that effect the current literature canon.

Literature canon is and always has been changeable. At present, new technical possibilities and institutions influence it. The traditional publishing business gets decentralized and dynamized with the appearance of new players in the business (Amazon, Google Books). One major question for my multifaced research project is based on how literary space changes through new technologies, and new emerging institutions. Through the digitalization process, literature will experience new opportunities, which will certainly change the future of literature, and all institutions that are linked with it.

My essential hypothesis is, that due to technical developments, literature dissolves out of the classical cultural space and embeds in new forms of virtual spaces. Literature, which is deemed worth reading and is therefore called the literature canon, will change significantly by the mass digitization, which is taking place right now. Established canon instances like publishing houses, libraries and archives are in danger to lose influence to new competitors in the digital market. Of particular interest for me is also, which selection mechanisms and which evaluation processes take place for digital content in the mentioned canon creating institutions. And of course how these may change because of the digitalization of literature.

In conclusion the future prospects of this dissertation project, which is situated in the field of space-altering effects of new technologies on literature and the overall philosophical tension between technology and space, are particularly promising. Especially regarding the current state of research and the mentioned focal points I have set. Moreover, the influences of digitalization on the literary space and canon institutions are central points of my research project. In my research, I investigate the opportunities and risks of the digitization for literature, as a cultural good, and for the canon instances, which see literature as a cultural heritage. Due to this, aspects of technology responsibility and technology ethics will also be a part of my dissertation project. By the wide diversification of my research project, connections with other disciplines and research areas also arise.