Pros and cons; pitfalls and tips

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Christina Smith

There are a lot of questions that I have been thinking about this last semester as I have been “experimenting” with different digital tools and trying to understand how they can assist in the process of creating a scholarly edition based on a historical manuscript. I think the keynote address did a good job of covering these larger questions. To bring a couple of these questions into a specific and hopefully manageable example for discussion:

What are the pros and cons; pitfalls and tips and tricks; time wasters and time savers when using a specific tool, (say Omeka) to organize, develop research questions, analyze, narrate, display and curate a historical manuscript and associated archival documents including other witness accounts and research material? What key elements should be highlighted in a digital historical archive to help it provide the greatest benefit to the larger community?

Let me also add that these pearls of wisdom would come more from the humanists point of view not so much the technical; that is, directed more at our real work not so much about how to use the tool, (there are a lot of guides out there for that.)

Further, I would suggest that a specific goal be identified to come out of the discussion. For example we could create a collaborative, short but helpful FAQ/job aid/guide that summarizes the answers to these and any other questions brought fourth and this could be shared via the Nexus lab with others. Of course any other suggestions for an end product from the discussion would be welcome too. Thank you!

Categories: Collaboration, Data Mining, Mapping, Metadata, Publishing, Scholarly Editions, Text Mining |

About Christina Smith

I have worked here at Arizona State University since 1996 and in the University Registrar Technology Services section as a systems analyst since 2007. I graduated summer of 2013 with my undergraduate degree in Integrated Studies. This specialized program allows advanced students to develop their own degree plan. My plan focus was, “Researching, Analyzing and Editing Historical Source Documents” and my primary project involved learning how to research, analyze and edit the memoir of Robert Lindneux who was an American Western Artist, (and who was also my great-grandfather.) I hope to eventually publish this memoir. I am continuing to work on the Lindneux memoir project with my research partner, Jackie Millard, (who is also my mom and the person who got me involved in this project in the first palce.) In spring of 2014 I started attending various workshops offered by the ASU Institute of Humanities Research Nexus Lab for Digital Humanities and Transdisciplinary Informatics, learning about various content management, text mining and data visualization tools. I am hopeful that these tools will help us manage, research and analyze our large archive that includes not only Lindneux’s memoir but also correspondence, photographs, and many other personal documents. PS My profile photo is a picture of myself and my research partner Jackie in front of the Woolarco Museum in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on one of our Lindneux research trips.