The ARCH. Center for Advanced Research in Computational Humanities.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Examining advanced computing, and its consequences, through humanities research.

What we do

Computational humanities applies computing to cultural research, and the methods of the humanities to computation itself.

Humanities frameworks examine how reasoning, ethics, understanding, and documentation practices change the world, including computing ecosystems.

Investigating language models and meaning

Research

Humanities Approaches to ComputationTreats artificial intelligence, computing hardware, software, and robotics as objects of humanities research, and as domains where humanistic concepts and judgment do substantive work. View → Public Digital HumanitiesDevelops public-facing forms of humanities research, interpretation, and cultural engagement. View → Digital NarrativeIn digital narrative research we analyze and create emerging forms of narrative across creative writing, game design, digital film, podcasting, interactive and branching narrative, immersive storytelling, and virtual world-building. View → Cultural AnalyticsUses computing to advance research into cultural artifacts, archives, and historical, linguistic, and material collections. View → Critical AI and Data StudiesInvestigates the social, cultural, political, embodied, and environmental implications of artificial intelligence and data-driven systems. View →

Featured

Research in progress.

Humanities Approaches

Epistemology and AI agents

How knowledge, justification, and agency take shape in language-model-based systems.

Public Digital Humanities

Does VR/AR immersion aid language acquisition?

Testing whether immersive augmented environments support second-language learning and retention.

Critical AI & Data

The cost of computation

Investigating the labor, environmental, and social consequences of data-driven systems.

People

The researchers
defining the field at the ARCH.

See everyone →

Research infrastructure

Spaces built for exploring and expanding knowledge.

ARCH Main in Faner Hall supports experimentation with VR and immersive systems, humanities-based computing research, digital humanities project post-production, game studies, a local-first open-source AI learning lab (coming Spring 2027), and space for live demonstrations. Beginning in Spring 2027, the ARCH Annex will extend that capacity with dedicated space for VR and 3D/4D research, podcasting for public digital humanities projects, and a new collaboration space.

Tour the infrastructure →