Course Description
This course will introduce students to the emerging field of digital history. We will explore the current and potential impact of digital methodologies on the theory and practice of history. The course will train students in the acquisition, analysis, and visualization of data in a careful, theoretically informed approach that tailors digital tools and methodologies to the unique concerns of the discipline.
We will cover the central aspects of data processing, which ultimately underlie digital research: acquisition and management, analysis, visualization, and presentation. Students will also be introduced to current issues in digital scholarship such as copyright, intellectual property, information abundance, and how these technologies change the relationship between historians and their audience.
During the semester, students will build a toolbox of practical skills to aid in historical research. Beyond the acquisition of particular technical skills, however, the primary goal of the course is to make students conversant enough across the spectrum of digital techniques that they can critically evaluate the potential and limitations of new technologies, integrate them into a sound research program, and fruitfully interact with experts to produce results.