Hypertext as Method Reflections on Hypertext as Design Logic Alessio Antonini ∗ alessio.antonini@open.ac.uk The Open University Milton Keynes, UK Megan Bushnell ∗ University of London London, UK megan.bushnell@sas.ac.uk Christopher Ohge ∗ University of London London, UK christopher.ohge@sas.ac.uk Francesca Benatti ∗ The Open University Milton Keynes, UK francesca.benatti@open.ac.uk Alessandro Adamou ∗ Bibliotheca Hertziana Rome, Italy alessandro.adamou@biblhertz.it Sam Brooker ∗ University of the Arts London London, UK s.brooker@lcc.arts.ac.uk ABSTRACT The proposed panel demonstrates how viewing hypertext as method and mode of inquiry (rather than simply technology) can fore- ground synergies between book history, textual studies and com- puter science, and enhance the scope of research in the wider hu- manities community. Hypertext as method is explored through six interconnected papers, each showcasing a diferent interpretation or approach. The frst discusses the role of hypertext as a pivot con- necting the Humanities approach with the design of hypertext sys- tems. The subsequent two papers discuss proto-hypertextual logic in specifc historical instances before the fnal three demonstrate the explicit application of the hypertext method to contemporary book history challenges: webcomics, videogames, and interactive fction. The aim is to demonstrate the potential of hypertext to energise collaboration among book historians, textual scholars, and hypertext scholars, who have often missed collaborations with one another. The breadth of subjects covered by the panel showcases the potential of hypertext as method while providing possible av- enues for hypertext as a community to build connections with other disciplinary areas. CCS CONCEPTS · Human-centered computing → Hypertext / hypermedia. KEYWORDS webcomics, games, scholarly editions, value chains, infrastructures, translations, remediations ACM Reference Format: Alessio Antonini, Megan Bushnell, Christopher Ohge, Francesca Benatti, Alessandro Adamou, and Sam Brooker. 2023. Hypertext as Method: Refec- tions on Hypertext as Design Logic. In 34th ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media (HT ’23), September 4ś8, 2023, Rome, Italy. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 4 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3603163.3609074 ∗ Authors contributed equally to this research. Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for proft or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the frst page. Copyrights for third-party components of this work must be honored. For all other uses, contact the owner/author(s). HT ’23, September 4ś8, 2023, Rome, Italy © 2023 Copyright held by the owner/author(s). ACM ISBN 979-8-4007-0232-7/23/09. https://doi.org/10.1145/3603163.3609074 1 INTRODUCTION Hypertext has been largely overlooked by contemporary book histo- rians and textual scholars. Misunderstood as a foundational experi- ment supplanted by Web 2.0, social media, and other infrastructures of dissemination, hypertext is more than the sum of its implemen- tations. Hypertext is a design logic, with broad implications for a variety of parallel felds. This panel demonstrates how viewing hypertext as method and mode of inquiry (rather than simply technology) can foreground synergies between book history, textual studies and computer sci- ence, and enhance the scope of research in the wider humanities community. Defned as method ś an approach advocated by Atzen- beck in 2019 [6] - hypertext is both a foundational principle of information technologies and digital methods, as well as a way to explore and reconceptualise analog technologies. As information technology pioneer Ted Nelson clarifed [24], łcomputers are not intrinsically involved with the hypertext concept.ž Hypertext as method is explored through six interconnected papers, each showcasing a diferent interpretation or approach; together they refect on fve years of collaboration and research be- tween the authors. The frst discusses the role of hypertext as a pivot connecting the Humanities approach with the design of hypertext systems. The subsequent two papers discuss proto-hypertextual logic in specifc historical instances before the fnal three demon- strate the explicit application of the hypertext method to contem- porary book history challenges: webcomics, videogames, and in- teractive fction. If these papers exist on the peripheries of their disciplines (if not hypertext) it is because interdisciplinary work often exists on the margins, where knowledge domains meet. The panel format allows for the identifcation and exploration of links between papers, itself a demonstration of hypertext as method. We aim to demonstrate the potential of hypertext to energise collaboration among book historians, textual scholars, and hyper- text scholars. The rationale for such work is premised on the idea that these communities have often missed connections with one another, and that thinking of hypertext as a method of inquiry could enhance the work of each. The breadth of subjects covered by the panel showcases the potential of hypertext as method while providing possible avenues for hypertext as a community to build connections with other disciplinary areas.