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.