When I started this class, I had a very vague understanding of the digital humanities. One of our first activities was coming up with our own definition of the digital humanities. My definition was an interdisciplinary field of study that draws inspiration from the humanities and uses technological computing to expand, disseminate, and improve previous research and share these ideas with the public. As I have directly worked with digital humanities throughout this semester, there are clear areas in my first definition that were correct in my assumptions. The digital humanities are directly related to the field of humanities, which is continuous throughout this semester as we looked at projects that utilized works mainly from history but other fields, such as anthropology and sociology. When engaging with the humanities also leads to an interdisciplinary nature that allows for diverse ideas across many fields. Throughout this semester, technological computing was also highlighted in many different ways, particularly in creating data visualizations and data analysis. This semester has also emphasized expanding and sharing digital research with the greater public. One of the core tenets of digital humanities research is to share academic research with the wider public so they can understand and value it. Sharing ideas with the public is a central aspect of digital humanities.

I would keep some aspects of my definition, but I would replace or clarify some now that I have a deeper understanding since I have been directly working with the material. The first aspect that I would change is that instead of using the generic and vague term of technological computing, I would expand this and provide specifics such as data visualization, text mining, digital mapping, and crowdsourcing. By just saying the term technological computing does not show the potential and extent of what can be done with digital humanities. Not only can patterns be observed, but data can be seen in an entirely different way. Another key area that needs not only clarification but to be wholly changed is the phrase “expand, disseminate, and improve previous research.” These processes of expanding, sharing, and improving are aspects of digital humanities, but they also negate the pivotal element of creation. Digital humanities projects create new methods of research and ideas for inquiry. They might expand on previous research, but each project creates something new and different that allows others to see that work in an entirely different light. This semester has taught me so much, not only about various methods of creating digital humanities projects but also about how essential digital humanities is for the future of research. This class has become a guiding light for my future research.

Digital humanities: An interdisciplinary field of study that draws inspiration from the humanities and uses technological computing to expand, disseminate, and improve previous research and share these ideas with the public.

In my definition of digital humanities, there were a few key points that I wanted to reiterate. The first is that multiple definitions I read, such as those by Matthew Kirschenbaum, Trevor Owens, Alison Booth and Miriam Posner, indicated the importance of digital humanities being interdisciplinary. Drawing inspiration from the traditional field of the humanities, the digital humanities seek to study complex ideas through the fields of psychology, sociology, history, and anthropology. I describe digital humanities as a field because while it relies on the previous foundations of the humanities, it has its own identity and should be labeled as such.

As for technological computing, the early field of digital humanities was called digital computing. The definition offered by Charles Henry, John Unsworth, Willard McCarty, and various other scholars at the time describes digital computing as using previous research to create data. This is still essential to digital humanities, but computing has become a means of collaboration and tool rather than the entire field. Digitizing written documents, creating data visualizations, or even collaborating with other scholars virtually are possibilities within the field of digital humanities.  Technology has steadily increased in usefulness and importance, which means that that field has also had to adapt to the changes going forward.

The final part of my definition, to expand, disseminate, and improve previous research and share these ideas with the public, indicates the overall teaching nature of digital humanities. Through these projects, based on the definitions provided, digital humanities seek to create an environment for all people to enjoy the research. Regardless of race, gender, or class, the information provided by digital humanities scholars should provide an accessible and acceptable outlet for research on the human experience. This is indicated in the definition by Alison Booth and Miriam Posner. In the recent era, digital humanities have shifted into a form of artful expression and curiosity for all.