April 9, 2015Big Project, Small Project:

Steps in Ideation and Development

Multimodal Scholarship: scholarship that takes place in more than one medium (mode), and addresses subjects which it argues cannot be accurately conveyed in a single mode.

Digital Scholarship: (strenuously resists being defined!)

(see slides from Workshop #1)

Alt. def.: using computers to do things which would be difficult for scholars to do, which allows scholars to do things

that computers can’t do.

"If we (Profs) can be replaced by a computer screen, we should be!”--Cathy Davidson

Public Scholarship: scholarship that involves interaction, communication, and contributions from the larger (non-academic) public

One perspective:

Digital Scholarship: using digital tools to produce scholarship

Multimodal scholarship: using tools to display and disseminate traditional scholarship

Public scholarship: using tools to facilitate interaction with non-academic audiences

What is the difference between digital and

multimodal and public scholarship?

(“produce” vs. “display and disseminate” vs. “publicly-focused” ?)

Why does the distinction between

digital, multimodal, and public scholarship

matter?

• Individuals and bodies whom you encounter or work with may have opposing perspectives on the definitions.

• Whether you present your project as DS/DH or as multimodal/public scholarship may be significant in terms of funding.

• You may want to adapt a fluid self-presentation that allows you to cast yourself as either, depending on the context.

What do you work with?

What are the components of the objects you work with?

• Book: words, pages, author(s), editor(s), publisher(s), reader(s), physical edition(s), digital editions, reader responses

• Performance: sound/video file, performer, venue, date/time, program

• People: identities, choices, information about specific experiences

What could a digital project be?

Ultimately, you define what form your project

takes.

Components of digital/multimodal projects

• an objective (a goal or a question)• data• audience• platform• labor• training• schedule/timeline• benefit (for you? for others?)• concrete outcome

“Developing research ideas is more about communication than

creativity.”--DevDH.org

How else might I find a project?

Almost anything you care about can become a project, if you

commit to it.

Ideation Questions (Round One):Starting Out

Ideation Questions (Round Two):Due Diligence

• Are there any existing projects that do anything similar to what you want to do?

• What is the legal status of the material that you work with?

• What kind of access do you have to these materials?

• What would be the smallest version of this project possible? (i.e., proof of concept)

Ideation Questions (Round Three):What will it take to make this happen?• What skills are involved?

• What are my real strengths, and where might it be better to collaborate with others?

• Who will you need to work with?

• How long do you anticipate this project lasting?

Ideation Questions (Round Four):Publishing your practice

• Could you produce your project in a more traditional format for your discipline? (e.g., an essay?) How would your project provide different coverage than a traditional argument?

• How does your planned project intersect with what other people are doing?

• How can I share my process? To what extent and for what reasons do I want to do so?

• What makes this a DS -- or multimodal – or public project?

It can be useful to think of any one project as a

series of smaller projects.

One Project = Many Projects• Learning and writing about the data that you work

with

• Developing expertise about the type of tool(s) you use, and what else they might be used for (both in your discipline, and outside of it)

• Identifying different possible stakes

• Mini-project: focusing on a tiny related data-set

• Mini-project: testing and critiquing one possible platform

The more you are able to pivot between mini-projects, the easier it

will be to participate in DS/DH activities.

How does your understanding of your work differ from the way

that others understand it?

The life of your project is in the way that

(other) people use it.

In digital scholarship, you may need to build your audience

before you build your project.

The scope of graduate student (as well as contingent faculty) labor is ill-defined. You

will need to actively define what is required, and articulate that to others.

GRADUATE STUDENT LABOR

How does my project fit into my graduate program?

Balancing a DS project with a graduate degree program

• Consider how and whether you want to position your project within the boundaries dictated by your program and its degree requirements.

Balancing a DS project with a graduate degree program

•Identify the people who are overseeing and evaluating the work you do on your project.

•Meet with those people to discuss the practical aspects of your project’s running and marketing.

•Identify specific requirements for completion, and get them in writing.

(adapted from Amanda Visconti’s “Five Tips For Getting Started On A Digital Humanities Dissertation”)

Project management

• creating and maintaining a schedule

• knowing your own skills

• being aware of and making use of resources

• having a realistic conception of all of the above.

Scheduling tips• Develop granular goals.

• Make your schedule for increments of time that work for you.

• Assess how well the schedule is working, and adapt it as needed.

Know yourself• What types of work do you have the most

energy/patience for?

• What types of work do you find frustrating?

• What aspects of collaboration do you embrace? What aspects do you struggle with? BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR ABILITIES.

Investigate available resources• The Sherman Centre (http://scds.ca)

• McMaster Humanities Media & Computing http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~hmc/

• MIIETL (for projects involving pedagogy & learning) (http://miietl.mcmaster.ca)

• Other Ontario university programs (Google “DH@Guelph” for more info

Asking is the key to developing a cohort.

Your project may be more transferable than your

dissertation.

Where else can I ask?

• DH Commons http://dhcommons.org

• DH Answers http://digitalhumanities.org/answers/

• Twitter

Be mindful of the return on investment (ROI) for each activity.

Why would you want a project, given how much work it is?

When managed mindfully, a DS project can provide a

sense of agency that complements and enhances traditional academic work.

But do you have to have a project to do digital scholarship?

No! • Develop critical expertise/perspective on a

particular type of project, and write about it in traditional formats.

• Copyright/open access

• Digital labour

• Focus on using digital tools in pedagogy

• Remember that projects can take many forms & sizes

What do you want to have happen as a result

of your digital scholarship activities?

Stay tuned for our next workshop!Thursday, April 16th, 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Available Tools: Free, Cheap, and Premium

•Finding tools, and deciding when they’re worth buying.•Warning signs: how to avoid platform disasters•Tools and copyright: how to navigate•What the Sherman Centre can do for you

Thanks to our sponsors!