Blog Post #2: Data & digitization by Robby Haytayan

 Blog Post #2: Data & digitization

In Chapter 2 of The Digital Humanities Textbook, the emphasis is on data modeling, which is fundamental to DH. Data modeling refers to the process of creating abstract representations of data and its relationships. This chapter explores various methods for structuring and organizing data to facilitate analysis and interpretation within digital projects. By defining how data should be categorized, related, and manipulated, data modeling helps ensure that digital tools and methods can effectively handle and analyze different data. Overall, data modeling extends the definition of DH by highlighting the importance of creating and utilizing structured data representations to support complex research and analysis tasks.

Next, Chapter 3 addresses digitization, which takes physical artifacts like manuscripts, books, or artworks and puts them into a digital format. This process is crucial for preserving and making these materials accessible for research and public engagement. “If your only tool is a hammer, you see only nails. If your only approach to phenomena is to transform them into quantified things, you see everything as a measuring device.” This quote really stuck out to me from chapter 3 as it shows how dynamic and unique you have to be when you are working within DH. What this is saying is that if you restrict yourself to only seeing work in a one-dimensional way, you may find yourself missing critical pieces of information that will elevate your research to another level. 

Finally, in this week's readings, chapter 3 really stood out to me and my project because of the use of taking artifacts and putting them in front of people's faces to preserve and represent the history that they show. I am looking at the gun violence memorials that are being put up in Boston this upcoming fall. In this memorial they have rows of artifacts that the families of the lost victims have submitted to showcase. This is used as a powerful way to showcase the tragic events that took place and to also to show that these people who lost their lives used things on the daily that we also use. It expresses power and brings slight to the problem at hand.

Comments

  1. Dr. MSeptember 9, 2024 at 12:11 PM

    Nice nod to thinking broadly about digitizing materials. This is significant in your own project, as it has a purpose beyond preservation and curation, a memorial for families and a reminder for all of us.

    ReplyDelete

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