Semiotics, here I come!

This post is going to be short, because my idea is still rather rudimentary. And I want your thoughts!

So I am an English master’s candidate, and I have a huge passion for semiotics – the study of signs. Something I’ve realized, though, is that semiotics is so broad in its applicability to various areas that it can be hard to find like minded individuals and relevant resources; that is, research and community on a specific semiotic topic can be virtually impossible to accomplish.i

I would like my project proposal to address this issue through the use of a CMS/topic modeling resource. The CMS would contain and publish research, scholarly work, etc. regarding sign systems – anyone can submit material to be included in the database, and an admin would be in charge of keeping it all organized. Then there would be a topic modeling tool that visitors can use to determine if specific documents are right for them. OR, and this might be a stretch, the topic modeling would already be done: the submitted resources on the site are put through topic modeling and the results are included in the code as metadata, so if someone performed a search for a particular topic, that document would show up in results as a viable resource toward that topic. All this would allow students easier research, and scholars smoother discussion and theory, on semiotics.

What do you think? Should I narrow this down at all? Does any of it not add up?

EDIT: So I realize that my proposal sounds a lot like the list of things the grant says I SHOULDN’T be doing – oops. So let me amend a bit: The culmination of work will, ideally, result in the above. But to catalyze it, I would perform the digitization, topic modeling, and analysis of documents and articles referring to semiotics and sign systems to determine an idea of just how diverse that area is, and how that may affect research and understanding of the limits (or lack thereof) of semiotics. In so doing, DH can assist in improving the understanding of semiotics and its relevance to areas outside of language and linguistics – and, as I said, culminating into a resource and community for those interested in the topic.

Does that sound better?