Digital History Project Review

Goal

Due: in class, Jan. 14, 2019

You will research an existing digital history project - or, alternatively, an example of data journalism with a historical component - available online.

A digital history project is a project that uses digital software and technologies to analyze or present historical information in new ways.

Tasks

Among other things you should examine:

1. The author(s) and his/her/their motives, experiences, training
2. The Institution(s) hosting and funding the project
3. The project’s sources of information.
4. The methods and tools, especially the digital methods and tools, employed by the author(s) to interpret, analyze, and present their data / argument / story.
5. The aesthetics and organization of the project: Are the project’s ideas communicated effectively, persuasively, and perhaps even beautifully?
6. Reflection on the effectiveness of this project and how digital tools and methods make it more (or perhaps less) credible and convincing?
7. Lessons: What lessons can you draw from this project? How else do you imagine or propose the format or methods of this project could be adapted to other projects? What other types of problems and topics could benefit from this type of analysis? What suggestions do you have for anyone seeking to apply such an analysis and presentation to their own analysis?
8. Ideas: What type of final project can you envision doing thanks to inspiration provided by the project you reviewed?

Presentation

In class on January 14, 2019, you will a) present the digital history project to your classmates and b) share your evaluation of it (including the topics listed above). Presentations should be about 7-10 minutes long with a few additional minutes for questions.

Digital History Project Lists

Choose a project that is credible, authoritative, informative, and well-designed. Choose a project that inspires you and will inspire or at least interest your classmates.

The project should not just be a digital collection of historical documents or photographs. It should also use apply digital technologies to interpret, analyze, and / or present historical information in new ways.

Here are some potential places to begin your search:

1. Stanford University’s Spatial History Project
2. Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
3. Slate’s list of “Great Digital History Projects from 2016”
4. University of Washington’s digital history projects
5. List on the UC-Irvine Library website
6. UT Benson Library - Digital Collections
7. blog: Historia digital: diez proyectos significativos del año 2015
8. blog: 12 digital history projects that will make you say wow!
9. Examples of data journalism with a historical component. Many great examples by the New York Times.

But, please look beyond these links for ideas. There is much more out there….