Defining the Digital Humanities

     Like many others, I began the semester with no understanding of the Digital Humanities (DH). When I signed up for the course, I simply believed it would teach me how to be an effective writer online. I certainly was not wrong, but my assumption did not acknowledge what the phrase “Digital Humanities” actually meant. After a brief introduction to DH and a project classification activity, I settled on the definition below.

Digital Humanities is the use of technology to analyze information in order to answer a question or educate others.

     Over the course of the semester, I have found that my original definition was mostly correct. Though, I noticed it lacks a few key characteristics of DH. Upon rethinking what DH encompasses, I came up with the following revised definition.

Digital Humanities is the use of technology to explore information in new ways. Through the construction of interactive experiences, digital humanists are able to educate others and conduct research to answer important questions.

     My experience has taught me that DH is interactive, collaborative, and often focused on visualizing information in untraditional ways. Throughout the course, I encountered several non-DH projects that met my original criteria, but failed to fulfill the last few pillars of DH.

Readings & Twitter

     The assigned readings for this course were always relevant and applicable to what we were doing in class. They often highlighted the intricacies of DH and challenged me to consider my previous experiences. I found the reading, “Racism in the Machine: Visualization Ethics in Digital Humanities Projects” to be particularly interesting. Even as a computer science major, I had never thought critically about the way data was presented. Because DH projects have a broad social impact, it is critical that visualizations are constructed in a proper non-biased way. This reading also allowed me to pull from my knowledge of computer ethics to suggest a way to define the idea of minimizing harm.

     Ultimately, I enjoyed the readings that I could relate to the most. For me, these were “Shitty First Drafts” and “Programming as Literacy”. While these works don’t explicitly discuss DH, they provide an important background for anyone in the DH field. They also reassured me as a new student entering the DH realm.

     Using Twitter was a great way to carry class discussions about the readings. I felt that it relieved some of the pressure of speaking in class and it allowed me to learn a new skill that will be useful after this class. Tweeting after readings was instrumental in helping me get my ideas down before forgetting them and the platform provided different ways to engage with content that aren’t available on traditional discussion platforms such as retweeting and liking. I plan to keep my account active, so it will also play a crucial role in establishing my digital identity moving forward. Finally, the notorious character limit and inability to edit tweets after they are posted really helped me learn how to write in a digital space.

Assignments

     Reviewing projects, writing blogs, and conducting research all helped inform my view of DH. Navigating the Green Book was my first exposure to the use of maps as a tool to convey an argument. My review blog critiquing the project required me to do extensive research to understand the qualities of a good DH project. The review blog also helped me generate ideas for my grant proposal, which was my favorite part of the class.

     The grant proposal was one of the things I was most concerned about entering this class. I had heard of the Independent Research Grant (IRG) before and I had hoped to eventually apply for one, but I had no idea how to actually write a proposal. Although, after breaking down grant proposal examples in class and drafting my own, I am now confident in my ability to create an enticing and persuasive grant proposal. It was especially nice to have Dr. Solomon discuss the process for applying for an IRG at CNU. This motivated me to work hard to create a model I could use when I apply later on.

     I’m also grateful for the modification of the proposal requirements to allow us to submit a resume. I had never written a resume for myself prior to this course, so being able to write one and have it reviewed by my peers and professor was invaluable. It has already proven useful as I have begun to apply for internships and research opportunities.

Overall Progress

     I have become a much better writer after taking this course. I am now able to write in a concise manner and I understand the best practices for writing online. I also have a much better understanding of DH, why it is important, and what it entails. I have no doubt that I will use the skills learned in this course throughout the rest of my career.