Due date: Friday, 16 December
The purpose of this assignment is to allow you to explore in greater depth authors, texts, and subjects which you have previously studied—and to do so using the tools and methods of the Digital Humanities. You may also choose something new related to the new media cultures we looked at during the first few weeks of the semester. It is up to you to choose the topic, and I will help you refine it and develop a methodology. Formulating a methodology is key to this assignment. You may not be able to produce useful or meaningful results, but your reflection on your methodology and on the results you do produce will be the primary basis for your grade. Before you freak out at the word “grade,” keep in mind that this is an opportunity for you to work to satisfy your intellectual curiosity, not to arrive at an answer I am expecting. In the Digital Humanities, failure is an option. Understanding why things don’t work is as important as understanding why they do. That’s the nature of real research.
In choosing your topic, you should keep in mind some of what goes into formulating a research method:
- A thorough understanding of the material being studied (e.g. historical and material contexts).
- A thorough understanding of the nature of the data you have to work with and how you can manipulate it to your uses.
- A thorough understanding of the limitations of what you can produce or conclude based on digital representation and/or analysis tools.
- A dissemination plan for how you want to present your results (print or web).
In a printed report or article, you might give the results of a project in the following order:
- The nature of the problem you are investigating.
- A description of your text/data set and any problems associated with analyzing it.
- Your methodology for analyzing the material.
- The results of your analysis.
- Your conclusions based on the analysis.
- Any methodological problems revealed by your analysis and a statement of desirable next steps.
A web-based project would have the same elements, though they might not be in the same order. The important thing is to show critical reflection upon the process at each stage of the development of your project.
Some possible formats for your project:
- A straightforward research-based essay
- A web site
- An XML file (or set of files) with an accompanying explanatory essay
- A video using a service like Xtranormal.
In light of the technical difficulties we have had throughout the semester, I am allowing you to work individually or collaboratively on your final projects. For collaborative projects, part of your methodology discussion should be a description of the individual roles you played in the project.
Useful Resources
