Maria Paula Andrade: Report from DHSI

Posted by Lynn Ramey on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 in Uncategorized.

This summer the DCH Cluster was able to send two students and two faculty/staff to training workshops on digital cultural heritage tools. Maria Paula Andrade reports from her trip to DHSI:

I went to the DHSI during the first week of June for an intensive course called “[Foundations] Making Choices About Your Data.” It was extremely helpful for me and the other participants to start thinking about how we can utilize technology in our humanities research. The class would last from 9am to 4pm, from Monday to Thursday (and Friday morning). The morning sessions were focused on introducing us to theoretical information. After lunch, we would have free time to work on our projects using the tools our instructors introduced us to. Because it was a “foundation” type of course, we were not required to have any familiarity with digital humanities. My instructors, Paige Morgan and Yvonne Lam, have vast experience in the field and taught us about both its current achievements and challenges. We were able to do readings prior to each class that helped prepare us for what we would be working on each day. I used this opportunity to explore mapping via Storymap JS, a tool I was introduced to during the classes. My research focuses on the history of public health in Brazil, so in using Storymap I was able to visualize how the public health system began to develop. Consequently, it helped me start thinking about questions related to the geographical networks of health assistance. Ultimately, the course has allowed us to reflect on how our projects do justice to the people and cultures we research about, and to think of the ethics behind the use of technology to examine human experiences. Going to the DHSI was certainly a great opportunity to not only engage with digital humanities but also to meet great scholars and students.

Maria Paula Andrade, PhD student in History