Hist 8000: Digital Methods for History
fall 2019

Prof. Pamela Mack, pammack@clemson.edu, Hardin 006, office hours MWF 8-11, Wed. 1:00-2:15, cell phone 864-710-3203 (texts preferred)
Class meets Wed. 2:30 to 5 in Hardin 024
with help from Prof. Josh Catalano, catala4@clemson.edu, Hardin 002
this syllabus on the web: http://pammack.sites.clemson.edu/syl8000digital2019.html

Course Description: This course explores the practice of using digital technologies in the context of historical and humanities scholarship. Through readings and practical, hands-on explorations of digital projects and resources, students will critically examine the history, theory, and practice of digital humanities/history.

Technologies that students will be introduced to will include: geographic and mapping tools, text and image analysis, website design and digital archives, social networking and network analysis, and historically-based gaming. Students will work, either individually or collaboratively, in the completion of a semester-long digital humanities project.

suggestions for being a gentle academic
Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course students should be able to:

Course Requirements:

Attendance and Class Participation: Come to class prepared to discuss the assignments and share ideas about the readings and digital tools or methods you worked with over the course of the week. Participation points are determined by your contribution to the discussion. Doing careful readings of the texts, raising questions about what you’ve read, and contributing thoughtfully to class discussion will ensure success.  Please email me if you have to miss class; in advance if possible; missing more than one class may affect your grade.  If I don't arrive within 15 minutes of the start time of the class please check my office before you leave.

Final Project: The core of the course will be an original digital humanities project. The focus of your project can be on any theme that interests you, but must be approved  in advance. Your project will be substantial and engage with both the history and the methods learned in the course. Not all projects will be the same, but a good model for a your final project might include:

This is simply an example and we will work together to develop different types of projects. 

Academic Integrity: As members of the Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson's vision of this institution as a "high seminary of learning."  Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others.  Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree.  Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form.

This includes representing someone else's work as your own or handing in the same paper to two different courses without permission of the instructors.  Be careful to avoid plagiarism--text you take from a web site, from a book, or from the online class notes must be either quoted with the source given or restated almost entirely in your own words, with the source given.  Note that the catalog defines as one form of academic dishonesty: "Plagiarism, which includes the intentional or unintentional copying of language, structure, or ideas of another and attributing the work to one’s own efforts."  Note the word unintentional--if you forget to put quote marks or a reference you can be found guilty of academic dishonesty even if it was not your intention to cheat.

It is cheating to cut and paste or otherwise copy portions of a argument paper, exam, or discussion board posting from a book, web site, or from the online class notes, even if you change a few words, unless you quote and give the source.  It is poor writing for more than about 20% of your paper to consist of quotes.   In most cases when you use specific material from any source you should paraphrase: cite the source and put the ideas into you own words (generally no more than 5 consecutive words should match the source but if the words are mostly the same it could still be plagiarism even if there aren't 5 consecutive words).

Laptops and Cell Phones:  Use of laptops, tablets and cell phones during class for purposes not related to this course is disrespectful to the instructor and distracting to other students.  You may use your devices to take notes during class or to look up further information on a topic being discussed.  Students using their devices during class may be called on to share what they are learning with the rest of the class.

Required reading is mostly online, as linked in the schedule. There are no required books.  Note that some readings require you to be logged into the Clemson network to access journal articles.  If you are away from campus, you can start from the library page and find the article or log into Novell using a Virtual Personal Network (VPN), which creates the appearance your computer is on the campus network.  Starting page for setting up a VPN: https://cuvpn.clemson.edu/+CSCOE+/logon.html. More info from CCIT: http://www.clemson.edu/ccit/atoz/viewServiceOffering.php?serviceID=25 and https://2fa.app.clemson.edu/

Schedule:

Aug. 21: Introduction and What is Digital History?

 
Aug. 29:  Spatial History and basic Story Maps
read before class:

assignment: story map on any topic, submit a link in Canvas

Sept. 4: ArcGIS Cascade (with help from Ellie Masoomkhah <emasoom@clemson.edu>, instructions are at bit.ly/clemsongis, look for digital history 2018 in left hand column) 
read before class:

assignment: a first experiment with a Cascade page related to your particular topic, link due on Canvas Sept. 11 before class

Sept. 11:  Text analysis--Prof. Catalano:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DIL59JyvPuJak2DHzcF6Uuw4mohz7rrYjwK0Ioi0SSE/edit?usp=sharing

assignment: an experiment with a word cloud or other text analysis related to your topic, due in Canvas Sept. 18 before class

Sept. 18: Organizing archival research
Guests: Prof. Stoil <rstoil@clemson.edu> and Prof. Hassell <stphanh@clemson.edu>

assignment due Sept. 25: a one page explanation of your topic and sources

Sept. 25: Topic analysis--Prof. Catalano:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Vgymup6J1JHuqMQg-Xj7ZOEx2ilkVRqm5JTRi0wXSa0/edit?usp=sharing
data set:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15ggB-uDRrNwmHKH7oq8hZECGd9t_i4Ja?usp=sharing

introduction to software we will use in class: https://programminghistorian.org/en/lessons/topic-modeling-and-mallet

Oct. 2: Online tools and Web Sites

Oct. 9: Legal Research and Websites and web presence

Guest: Lee Wilson <wilson1@clemson.edu> powerpoint


Oct. 16: Webpages and Video via Adobe Spark and Rush
 Oct. 23: Oral history
 Oct. 30: Historiography of Digital History
 Nov. 6: Digital Public History
note Story Map entries for GIS Day are due here by Nov. 8
Nov. 13: Project presentations (these are early because we expect you to make changes based on the feedback you get)
We will finish early to go to GIS day at 4 pm in 412 Cooper Library--go by between 10 and 2:30 to vote for your classmates

Nov. 20: More Project Presentations

Nov. 27: Thanksgiving holiday

Dec. 5: Democratizing History and Shared Historical Authority.  Project due. Read:


Dec. 11:   takehome final due by midnight. 

University policies:

Disabilities: It is university policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have disabilities. Students with disabilities requesting accommodations should make an appointment with Accessibility Services (656-6848), to discuss specific needs within the first month of classes. Students should present a Faculty Accommodation Letter from Student Accessibility Services when they meet with instructors. Accommodations are not retroactive and new Faculty Accommodation Letters must be presented each semester.

Student Accessibility Services coordinates the provision of reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and students experiencing barriers due to inaccessibility. Accommodations are individualized, flexible, and confidential and are based on the nature of the disability and the academic environment, in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  Students are encouraged to consult with the Accessibility Services staff early in the semester, preferably prior to the first day of class. Current documentation of a specific disability from a licensed professional is needed. Additional information or appointments are available from Student Accessibility Services, Suite 239 in the Academic Success Center, 656-6848. Details on policies and procedures are available at www.clemson.edu/academics/studentaccess/.

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Copyright Statement
Materials in some of the courses are copyrighted. They are intended for use only by students registered and enrolled in a particular course and only for instructional activities associated with and for the duration of the course. They may not be retained in another medium or disseminated further. They are provided in compliance with the provisions of the Tech Act. Students should be reminded to refer to the Use of Copyrighted Materials and “Fair Use Guidelines” policy on the Clemson University website. Additional information is detailed at http://libguides.clemson.edu/copyright.

Creative Commons License
Introduction to Digital History Syllabus by Pamela E. Mack is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.