How do we define Digital Humanities?
Digital humanities is a field of study that is ever-changing, which refuses to be defined as just one thing. This can be quite confusing to a student that has never heard of such a term, especially because the definitions we've studied have proved to be so broad.
At first, I thought DH was merely two words describing the transcription process of physical data to digital data. But the field of digital humanities does much more than store information, it uses this information to research answers to questions raised by that data.
Our textbook defines the term humanities as "areas of cultural activity that are explicitly concerned with human existence and experience." It also defines the term digital as a word used "to refer to information stored in discrete binary forms." Using the textbook, the reader must further define binary as a form of stored information, which is made up of zeros and ones. However, computation manipulates binary form to encode other symbols besides simply zeros and ones. In the same way that we learn that code is expanded into symbols beyond singular numbers, we learn that digital humanities is expanded into more than the process of this transcription. The DH worker must then analyze their data.
I would say the definition of DH differs, but generally it involves the labor of workers to solve research question(s) that can be applied to real-life problems. What do you think DH is? Can it be defined? Do you agree or disagree with my definition (or do you have anything to add to it)? What do you think of the way the textbook presents this concept?
I agree with your definition where you said how digital humanities is a “field of study that is ever-changing.” Information used in this field is applied with the help of researchers ranging from philosophers to historians. There does not seem to be a set definition, however, we can still define digital humanities in a way that we are thinking outside the box. I personally like the way the textbook definition breaks it down by defining “digital” and “humanities” separately. Readers who are unfamiliar with this concept can put together those separate definitions and then get a better idea of what it means. I also had a similar reaction to the bottom photo when finishing the first chapter, so you are not alone there.
ReplyDeleteHaha, great photo! Love the colors here that reflect the manifesto. And, yes, using the digital tools to create the data and also to analyze that data. And to find new ways to research and also disseminate that information!
ReplyDeleteFrom Victoria: That’s a really interesting point that DH is expanded into
ReplyDeletemore than the process of the transcription of computer code.
Which is why it's not so simple to define. I agree with Julianna’s comment about: “I personally like the way the textbook definition breaks it down by defining
“digital” and “humanities” separately. Readers who are
unfamiliar with this concept can put together those separate
definitions and then get a better idea of what it means.”