Course Syllabus

Conference Course — Fall 2017

Time: Tue-Thu, 3-4pm
Place: Robinson 105
Instructor: Gabriel Pizzorno
Email: pizzorno@fas.harvard.edu
Office: Robinson L21
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 10am-noon, and by appointment

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.

Requirements and Grading

The course will be centered on a semester-long digital project, on a topic of the student’s choosing, as an opportunity to experiment with new technologies. The specifics of it will greatly depend on the students’ own research interests. Various possibilities will be discussed in detail during one of the early meetings. The project itself may be a component of a larger piece of work such as a paper or thesis.

Work towards this final goal will be realized throughout the semester as a series of essays, each contributing elements to the main research project. Click here for more details.

Please also review the course's policies and expectations. The schedule for the course and the assigned readings can be found here.