Blog Post 3: Metadata and Databases

    Metadata is information about a resource, whether that resource is digital or physical. Essentially, it is data describing data. The book compared metadata to the "Get info" button that you may see when browisng websites or viewing information online. You will discover the date, size, and/or format of a given file. Metadata can be descriptive, helping with identification, naming, or describing a file. It can be administrative, describing how to access the file and who can access the file. Or, metadata can be operational, describing what steps may be required to view the file. The Digital Humanities Coursebook claims that without metadata, information would be as useful to us as "books on shelves without covers".

    Metadata relates to our understanding of Digital Humanities in the way that it allows us to locate information and determine its relevance to us. It follows a set of standards so that information can be spread across our devices in a way that can be understood by all. This is extremely relevant to my project,Our Marathon, as I have used administrative metadata points to figure out how to download some of the artifacts, and listen to an interview. In the Letters to the City of Boston section, I used descriptive metadata to determine who created each letter, when they were created, and the type of file they're being presented on.

    From what I understand, databases are places full of information, organized in a way that aligns best with the research agenda of their creators. Specifically, the chapter talked about relational databases, which are made up of multiple tables that separate information, making it more efficient for viewing and accessing. Something that was brought to my attention by this chapter was the ethics of database design. Choosing how you present data, or which data to include in the first place, shows bias and can be harmful if done wrong. One of my most important takeaways mentioned by the book was that data should be F.A.I.R., meaning it should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Repurposeable.

    This relates to Digitial Humanities in the way that FAIR data sort of embodies the entire mission of Digital Humanities. It's accumulating so much data that may not have otherwise been accessible, and allowing it to be viewed by anyone who wishes to do so. We can share this data with others, and use it again in our own ways. There are also ethical concerns with database design which I felt related heavily to the project I am analyzing. I have viewed many artifacts in my project from those who lost their lives in the Marathon Bombing, and it leads me to wonder: what types of permissions had to be given in order for this data to be published? Or, is it just overruled by the overarching goal of the project: to share stories of all who were affected? After reading these chapters, I feel that I can view my project more critically.