Behind the Scenes Series #11: Maciej Maryl

In the series “TRIPLE: Behind the Scenes”, we feature individual staff members from the TRIPLE project team to give a face to the people behind the scenes. What is their role in the project, their background, and how did they get in touch with the Open Science movement?

Maciej Maryl. (Photo: Private)

Today it’s Maciej Maryl’s turn to tell you more about what goes on behind the scenes of the TRIPLE project (check out his Twitter, Mastodon and Linkedin profiles). Maciej works at the IBL PAN, the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, a nationally leading institution in research on Polish literature and culture, past and present, including highly specialised philological and lexicographic research. IBL PAN is also a leading national centre for documentation and bibliography of Polish literature and its scholarly editions.

Maciej, what is your role in the TRIPLE project, and what are you currently working on in the project? 

Together with Marta Błaszczyńska, I’m leading Work Package 2, which deals with GoTriple data and such issues as normalisation, vocabularies, data models or supporting our data providers. As we are entering the last month of the Work Package things are getting pretty busy with finalising all the work and deliverables.

What is your background in terms of previous work experience and academic discipline, and which specific perspective(s) does that background contribute to TRIPLE?

My background is in literary studies and sociology, which I’m trying to combine in digital humanities research, working on data-driven models of literary life. I find those interests and the researcher’s approach crucial for my contribution to GoTriple, as apart from being a team member I also belong to the platform’s target group. I’m also a big advocate of open science and I have always released open versions of my publications and data (as much as I could). Hence I’m really happy to see a platform, which will enable better visibility and discovery of such resources. 

What are the aspects you’re most excited about for the release of the GoTriple platform? 

I’m really looking forward to a federated search engine that will provide a single access point to scattered, multilingual, and open resources in social sciences and humanities. As a researcher, I used to look for relevant literature on multiple different platforms, which is time-consuming and does not allow for applying the same search criteria, since all platforms are slightly different. The ability to discover content in different languages is also a key asset here. In sum, in GoTriple I see a great opportunity in speeding up and organising this process, also thanks to knowledge maps which facilitate discovery.

One of Maciej’s favourite ways of recharging batteries is to go walking with his dog Ubu

What is the one thing that you desperately need in your daily work routine? 

One thing I definitely need at work is to move. If I were to sit for the entire day I would not be able to get up in the evening. Hence, I have been using a standing desk for a few years now and I feel better, even after long hours spent in front of the computer.

Can you tell us about an activity that helps you release stress after a hard week at work?

The best way for me to recharge batteries after a long day is to go for a few kilometres long stroll or a jog with my dog Ubu by the Vistula river in Warsaw. I use this time to enjoy my favourite, obviously non-work-related, podcasts such as This American Life or Heavyweight (which I wholeheartedly recommend).

Maciej, thank you so much for the interview!

The TRIPLE project is funded by the European Commission, under Grant Agreement No. 863420. Project coordinator is Suzanne Dumouchel (Huma-Num), Co-coordinator of OPERAS. For more information please contact her at Suzanne.Dumouchel[at]huma-num.fr.