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HYPERTEXT AND THE LITERARY DOCUMENT

HYPERTEXT AND THE LITERARY DOCUMENT The concept of a single, authoritative text for literary works has been recognised for some years as unrealistic, and their polytextual nature accepted as a more authentic basis for the study of imaginative literature. At the same time, presentation of scholarly editions in the traditional paper medium continues to privilege one particular text the copytext, relegating others to subordinate, fragmentary status as footnoted variants. There is, therefore, an inevitable conflict perceived or not between the conceptualisation of literary texts and the documentary form they currently take. Hypertext is thus proposed as an alternative medium for the publication and study of scholarly texts, which would provide a more helpful, flexible, and dynamic environment for the advanced study of imaginative literature. The proposition is illustrated by examples from a smallscale experimental system, based on a seventeenthcentury collection of poetry, and using the Guide hypertext software. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Documentation Emerald Publishing

HYPERTEXT AND THE LITERARY DOCUMENT

MORGAN, PAUL
Journal of Documentation , Volume 47 (4): 16 – Apr 1, 1991
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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0022-0418
DOI
10.1108/eb026885
Publisher site
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Abstract

The concept of a single, authoritative text for literary works has been recognised for some years as unrealistic, and their polytextual nature accepted as a more authentic basis for the study of imaginative literature. At the same time, presentation of scholarly editions in the traditional paper medium continues to privilege one particular text the copytext, relegating others to subordinate, fragmentary status as footnoted variants. There is, therefore, an inevitable conflict perceived or not between the conceptualisation of literary texts and the documentary form they currently take. Hypertext is thus proposed as an alternative medium for the publication and study of scholarly texts, which would provide a more helpful, flexible, and dynamic environment for the advanced study of imaginative literature. The proposition is illustrated by examples from a smallscale experimental system, based on a seventeenthcentury collection of poetry, and using the Guide hypertext software.

Journal

Journal of Documentation – Emerald Publishing

Published: Apr 1, 1991

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