Abstract: [Purpose/Significance] The research paradigm of digital humanities provides an opportunity for researchers to conduct evidence-based research based on second-hand resources. The second-hand evidence in the evidence-based digital humanities research mainly refers to the secondary evidence obtained by researchers through analysis of the original literature records. Academic papers are such an example of second-hand evidence and analysis of these papers enables us to be focused on the exploration, discussion and comprehension of the specific evidence. [Method/Process] This paper aims to shed light on the theoretical basis related to second-hand evidence based digital humanities research, and conduct an empirical analysis with Dunhuang wooden and bamboo slips of Han Dynasty. Through the coding analysis of 287 relevant research papers downloaded from the CNKI database, the reliability and validity of the research were tested, and a comprehensive analysis of the category system was conducted. On this basis, two independent coders systematically coded all academic papersby, and a coding system was formed with reliable reliability and validity. This coding system provided us a foundation to summarize the procedure of extracting the second-hand evidence from academic papers in the digital humanities research. [Results/Conclusions] This paper issued a three-stage and five- link procedure for second-hand evidence based digital humanity research. The "three stages" refer to the systematical literature retrieval, category formulation and comprehensive analysis of the second-hand evidence elements and the five links include evidence retrieval, reliability test, validity test, category construction and evidence element synthesis. The procedure developed by this research is expected to shed light on the knowledge organization of ancient literature works and lay a foundation for the digital humanities research based on the secondary resources like academic papers. Thus, based on the above procedure, the researchers in the digital humanities area are able to extract fruitful second-hand evidence from secondary resources (academic papers, for example) instead of acquiring initial evidence. This procedure may benefit the evidence-based digital humanity research because it is always a challenging task for individual researcher to access the initial research material like Dunhang wooden and bamboo slips of Han Dynasty. In summary, the paradigm constructed in this study has certain theoretical reference and practical guidance value for the construction of evidence-based digital humanities subject, and academic and discourse system. Thus, it is expected to benefit the construction of independent knowledge system of evidence-based digital humanities with Chinese characteristics.

Key words: evidence-based digital humanity, second hand evidence, three stages and five links paradigm, Dunhuang wooden and bamboo slips of Han Dynasty