Jaedyn - What is DH?

 


After reading about digital humanities across multiple sources, I’m still not entirely sure what the solidified definition of digital humanities is. But I think that is also the point. My interpretation is any project which combines the digital world with the humanities. Which are both extremely broad topics. There seems to be an informative element of digital humanities as well. Projects inform you of what the digital elements mean. For example, art museum websites typically have images of their art alongside descriptions of the piece itself and the artist. This combination of physical and digital help you better understand what you are viewing. 

Digital archives allow for easily accessible research opportunities. Having information largely available on a digital scale makes it more accessible for people all across the world. Digitized textbooks become cheaper for low-income students. Recordings and analysis of Broadway shows allow people across the world to experience them. These archives are a form of digital humanities I would consider one of the most informative and widely used forms of digital humanities projects.

I wouldn’t consider simple videos or images posted online as digital humanities. I feel more elements are needed. The humanities raise discussion and engage your mind. Engagement is needed to create a digital humanities project. The textbook also explains the importance of intersecting intellectual work and appearance. By incorporating the digital world, you then have to consider the factors it introduces. Elements such as color scheme, fonts, and visuals are likely not a concern when simply writing an essay. When writing a piece for the world of digital humanities, these elements can make a huge difference in the audience you draw in as well as the impact of your approach.

I find the topic of digital humanities to be messy and slightly confusing. There is no one element which defines it but rather it is up to personal interpretation. The arts are meant to be a form of expression which differs by person. This is then combined with artifacts to create a more engaging digital and informative piece of work.

Comments

  1. Dr. MSeptember 5, 2026 at 8:28 AM

    You've definitely hit on the combination of digital and humanities and how the use of digital tools needs to demonstrate some engagement/critical thought. It is a bit messy and confusing, but also simple when you think of just how much technology, digitization, and computation goes into humanities methods work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Charlotte HahnSeptember 7, 2026 at 12:18 PM

    I can definitely relate to the confusion regarding DH, my blog post is very similar. But I like how you said that DH is a form of expression that is meant to be viewed and interpreted in many ways.

    ReplyDelete

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