Foreword

Abstract

We are pleased to present the second issue of The KeMCo Review. This issue comprises three feature articles and three research notes under our special theme, along with one general article and three additional research notes. Each piece has been selected through a stringent peer review process for publication. The special theme for this issue is “Public Humanities.” This encompasses efforts to reexamine professional knowledge in history in tandem with developments in digital humanities, initiatives to make digital data accessible to the public, and attempts to combine digital archives with design research, among other discussions and practices in the broad field of humanities. In this issue, we collected manuscripts under this theme, positioning “Public Humanities” broadly as the discussions and practices involved in opening the world of academic research to the public while also making them relevant to the public’s day-to-day lives. Keio Museum Commons (KeMCo) is a conceptual open space where diverse people—including researchers from various academic fields, artists, curators, and the general public—can interact beyond traditional boundaries. We are delighted to present the second issue of The KeMCo Review, which embodies the concept behind KeMCo in its content. Our publication sets a special theme for each issue to introduce topics of interest at KeMCo. We will soon begin considering the theme for the next issue and will call for submissions shortly. That said, we are always open to submissions that are not related to the set theme. Our guidelines, as stipulated by the submission rules and regulations, allow for submissions of not only academic papers but also shorter research notes, and the decision whether to publish is made after a review process involving, in principle, two peer reviewers and deliberation by the editorial committee. We encourage our readers to consider submitting contributions for the next issue.