Digital humanities in search of self-defining

The paper deals with the new generation of studies in History and the Humanities - Digital Humanities (DH). Fruitful debates on the nature of digital era in the development of the Humanities are summarized. It is important to mark the limits of analytical possibilities of DH, to define the aims, and to choose the 'best practices' in the field. The number of publications under the 'umbrella' of DH is analyzed. The today's understanding of the DH field can be divided into three viewpoints: researchers see it as a project-oriented approach to the digitalization and investigation of the past and present; tutors underline the possibilities of DH teaching programs for students over the world; finally, DH became the profitable brand that gives advantages and administrative support to the members of academic community. "Data era" became a feature of contemporary discussion of digitalization of historical and cultural heritage for purposes of study in the Humanities. The trend corresponds with the "big data" research developed last years. Data as a research source in the Humanities changed the perspective of studying sources in the context of "analog" nature and genre. Data are essentially multimedia; therefore the analysis of data should be multiple. Debates on DH and definitions of DH as a breakthrough approach in the Humanities demonstrate the need for collaboration and consolidation of community. ADHO (Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations) is a good example of international collective laboratory in DH. Journals and online-projects are also developed in DH; among them "Digital Humanities Quarterly" (since 2007), "Journal of Digital Humanities" (since 2011), "Digital Humanities Now" are to be mentioned.