The European Science Foundation has released a report on Research Infrastructures in the Humanities. The report has a nice Introduction on the origins of Research Infrastructures like the library and museum. It presents a taxonomy and a number of case studies. By and large the report argues “that digital RIs offer Humanities scholars new and productive ways
to explore old questions and develop new ones.” (Foreword, p. 2) The report is by the European Science Foundation and is designed to encourage appropriate development of digital infrastructure for the humanities which bridge to traditional resources.
Digital infrastructures are developing rapidly but unevenly, and there is an urgent need for coordination, standardisation and sharing of experience to prevent unnecessary duplication and the atomisation of good initiatives. (Foreword, p. 2)
I’ve only skimmed the report, but it doesn’t seem to raise the question of exactly what is suitable as infrastructure and what should stay open research. The report concludes with a nice set of priorities including the need for evaluation systems.