A Shared Vocabulary for Interactive Digital Narrative (IDN): An Encyclopedia Project

The design and study of interactive digital narratives (IDN) is a multidisciplinary field. Scholars and practitioners concerned with the topic originate from fields such as literary studies, computer sciences, games studies, media studies, fine art, filmmaking. Consequently, they not only bring a wealth of productive perspectives to the table, but also differences in terminology. This fact alone can be a cause for confusion, yet it is further amplified by diverging meanings of the same term in different disciplinary contexts. In the field, there is a long-standing issue, we propose concrete steps towards the development of a shared vocabulary in the form of an online encyclopedia, taking inspiration from the Living Handbook of Narratology and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. This work is developed in the INDCOR EU COST action, a network currently encompassing more than 160 members from 37 countries.