Digital Humanities

           Prior to reading chapters 2 & 3 of the Digital Humanities Coursebook, I had a very generalized view of what data consisted of. Personally, I always thought of data vaguely as a broad set of numbers and charts that usually applied to math and science. According to the book however, the composition of data can be broken into individualized groups. For instance, unstructured data consists of written texts such as manuscripts or historical ledgers. By contrast, structured data takes the form of the more traditional graph or icon. Understanding the differences has made me more aware of the depth of the realm of Digital Humanities. What defines data and project labels is greatly determined by the materials used.

 

Chapter 3, meanwhile, addressed the protocol and format for adapting and assembling materials. HTML provides an example of this process. The majority of all online material is formatted in HTML, which programs specific functions and appearance. The HTML must work with browser systems to accurately perform. Other complications include software availability and storage options. Learning about the factors needed to create and structure materials online made me understand why Digital Humanities is a developing term for a developing field. Simply taking traditional media and ‘making it digital’ is a complex process that requires an entire system of its own.

Comments

  1. NataliaSeptember 11, 2022 at 2:03 PM

    Hello! Before I read chapters two and three I also had the same definition of data as you did. After reading the chapters I was blown away with how many individualized groups there were for data as well. The way you defined data was similar to my own takeaway from that chapter.

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  2. Dr. MSeptember 12, 2022 at 4:56 PM

    Yes, it's not as simple as digitizing something. I think we tend to think of "data" (which in my mind refers more to structured data) as something concrete, straightforward, uncomplicated. And... turns out it can tell us as much about systems and bias as other forms of research.

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