DATA ANALYSIS AND VISUALIZATION
I will teach this course as a graduate seminar at FSU in Fall 2016. I may make changes after I am introduced to the students and their skill levels and familiarity with ArcGIS.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
“As scholars in the humanities apply technologies developed for other forms of inquiry, such as statistical tools and geographical information systems, they are caught in the quandary of adapting their methods to the tools versus adapting the tools to their methods. New tools lead to new representations and interpretations.”
--Christine Borgman, Big Data, Little Data, No Data: Scholarship in the Networked World (2015), 28.
In this hands-on, skills-based course, we will introduce and explore the questions, theories, and digital technologies that have driven data analysis and visualization in the study of the ancient world. After learning how to acquire and evaluate real, active datasets from philological, art historical and archaeological databases, we will use in-class discussion and exercises to explore those datasets through spatial analyses in a Geographic Information System (GIS), social networking software, multivariate statistical analyses such as principal component analysis (PCA), and data-cleaning and -probing software such as OpenRefine. Over the course of the semester, students will develop individual or collaborative projects that employ one or more of these approaches to address their own questions about the ancient world, from the social networking evident in Latin epistolography to the spatial analysis of Bronze Age settlement patterns. Throughout the semester we will experiment with different ways to responsibly and clearly display the results of the different analyses and subsequent interpretations. No prior experience with any of these computing applications is necessary; the class is designed to facilitate the research endeavors of any and all students of classics, from philology to art history to archaeology.
--Christine Borgman, Big Data, Little Data, No Data: Scholarship in the Networked World (2015), 28.
In this hands-on, skills-based course, we will introduce and explore the questions, theories, and digital technologies that have driven data analysis and visualization in the study of the ancient world. After learning how to acquire and evaluate real, active datasets from philological, art historical and archaeological databases, we will use in-class discussion and exercises to explore those datasets through spatial analyses in a Geographic Information System (GIS), social networking software, multivariate statistical analyses such as principal component analysis (PCA), and data-cleaning and -probing software such as OpenRefine. Over the course of the semester, students will develop individual or collaborative projects that employ one or more of these approaches to address their own questions about the ancient world, from the social networking evident in Latin epistolography to the spatial analysis of Bronze Age settlement patterns. Throughout the semester we will experiment with different ways to responsibly and clearly display the results of the different analyses and subsequent interpretations. No prior experience with any of these computing applications is necessary; the class is designed to facilitate the research endeavors of any and all students of classics, from philology to art history to archaeology.
CLASS FORMAT
We will meet once a week for 2.5 hours. Short ‘context readings’ for each week will provide the foundation for in-class discussion. The first 30-45 minutes of class will be an informal lecture/discussion, followed by 1.5-2 hours of hands-on, in-class exercises that will help you learn the concepts discussed in lecture/discussion, try them out for yourselves, and gain familiarity with the software being used to analyze, visualize and publish the data (ArcGIS, OpenRefine, Gephi, Adobe, etc.). Ideally, as your ease with the program grows, you'll be able to use any extra time to develop and work your final projects as they are relevant to that day's topic or software.
ON-CAMPUS RESOURCES
There is a vibrant DH (Digital Humanities) community at Florida State University. As a result, there are many events, symposia, workshops and lectures that dovetail nicely with the learning goals of this course. Check out the “Discover DH” series at Strozier this Fall, which features ‘hack’ and ‘yack’ sessions on everything from digital pedagogy, project management, text analysis tools and networking software (https://www.lib.fsu.edu/drs/events/discover-dh). The Office for Digital Research and Scholarship (https://www.lib.fsu.edu/drs) holds a weekly Digital Scholarship Support Group called ‘Percolator’ on Wednesday afternoons, and in November will host a symposium on “Invisible Work in the Digital Humanities” (http://iwdh.cci.fsu.edu/). The Program in Interdisciplinary Humanities (http://pih.fsu.edu) now offers an MA with a major in Digital Humanities, and has a good overview of DH@FSU (http://pih.fsu.edu/DH-FSU). The FSU Digital Scholars group regularly holds events and hosts speakers to talk and workshop their research in the Digital Humanities (https://digitalscholars.wordpress.com/). I hope you take advantage of these wonderful resources as you pursue Digital Humanities this semester and beyond!
EVALUATION AND GRADING
Weekly Literature Reviews (2 per week = 18 x %2.5 =45%)
Final Project Proposal and Annotated Bibliography (due 28 October; 15%)
DH Projecct Review and Presentation (11/11; 5%)
Final Project Presentation (December 2 & 9; 10%)
Final Project (due December 9; 25%)
Weekly Literature Reviews
After the first class meeting, you will seek out and review quality scholarly articles on topics relating to data analysis and visualization. The first fourteen (9/9-10/21) weekly literature reviews are a way for you to individually explore topics in data analysis and visualization that interest you and, ideally, contribute to your research for, and formulation of, your final project (though you are not obligated to develop your final project around every topic that you have covered in a literature review for the first five weeks). After the submission of your final project proposal (10/28), the last four (11/4 &11/18) literature reviews will give you an opportunity to work thoroughly and carefully through some of the major sources in the bibliography that you propose, as well as add more sources. You will not be expected to submit literature reviews the week that your final project proposal is due (10/28) or on the week that we will do the DH project reviews (11/11).
You can find a selection of resources as well as potentially interesting articles and chapters for your reviews on the Course Library. As you complete your literature reviews, you will add your citations and share your reviews to the course Zotero. Reviews should be clear, polished and concise (4-5 pages/approximately 2000 words).
Final Project Proposal
Mid-way through the semester, you will propose your final project according to the formats that we regularly encounter from grant-awarding institutions – specifically, for our purposes, the National Geographic Society’s Waitt Grant. The different elements of the grant, content expectations, and word counts are available as a .pdf on the course Blackboard site. This is not a long assignment, but should be clear, polished, and persuasively presented.
DH Project Review and Presentation
With the increase of digital data-based projects in recent decades has come a concomitant rise in online presence and presentation of these projects. Locate a DH project online and evaluate it based on the experience and knowledge you’ve gained over the course of the semester. What is its objective? How does it work? As an endeavor, how successful is it? What sort of potential do you see in it for future development? At the beginning of class on November 11, everyone will make a short (5-minute) presentation on the project of their choosing. A short (1-2 page) written review will outline your reactions to the project.
Final Project Presentation
You will present the results of your final project to the class in the format of a traditional conference paper (15-20 minutes of presentation, 5-10 minutes of discussion). The presentations should feature a clear articulation of your research question and background, an explanation of what methods you used (and why they are appropriate to your research question), polished visual presentation of your analysis and interpretation, and your conclusions, reactions, and directions for future work on the topic.
Final Project
The final project should closely reflect your final presentation, but may see some minor changes and revisions based on further reading, additional analysis, and feedback from your colleagues after your presentation. It should include a clear articulation of your research question and background, an explanation of what methods you used (and why they are appropriate to your research question), a polished visual presentation of your analysis and interpretation, and your conclusions, reactions, and directions for future work on the topic. Additionally, you should have as an appendix your workflow and data management plan/structure.
Nota Bene: For purposes of centralization and ease of sharing feedback, all assignments will be submitted via Turnitin on the course Blackboard site.
Final Project Proposal and Annotated Bibliography (due 28 October; 15%)
DH Projecct Review and Presentation (11/11; 5%)
Final Project Presentation (December 2 & 9; 10%)
Final Project (due December 9; 25%)
Weekly Literature Reviews
After the first class meeting, you will seek out and review quality scholarly articles on topics relating to data analysis and visualization. The first fourteen (9/9-10/21) weekly literature reviews are a way for you to individually explore topics in data analysis and visualization that interest you and, ideally, contribute to your research for, and formulation of, your final project (though you are not obligated to develop your final project around every topic that you have covered in a literature review for the first five weeks). After the submission of your final project proposal (10/28), the last four (11/4 &11/18) literature reviews will give you an opportunity to work thoroughly and carefully through some of the major sources in the bibliography that you propose, as well as add more sources. You will not be expected to submit literature reviews the week that your final project proposal is due (10/28) or on the week that we will do the DH project reviews (11/11).
You can find a selection of resources as well as potentially interesting articles and chapters for your reviews on the Course Library. As you complete your literature reviews, you will add your citations and share your reviews to the course Zotero. Reviews should be clear, polished and concise (4-5 pages/approximately 2000 words).
Final Project Proposal
Mid-way through the semester, you will propose your final project according to the formats that we regularly encounter from grant-awarding institutions – specifically, for our purposes, the National Geographic Society’s Waitt Grant. The different elements of the grant, content expectations, and word counts are available as a .pdf on the course Blackboard site. This is not a long assignment, but should be clear, polished, and persuasively presented.
DH Project Review and Presentation
With the increase of digital data-based projects in recent decades has come a concomitant rise in online presence and presentation of these projects. Locate a DH project online and evaluate it based on the experience and knowledge you’ve gained over the course of the semester. What is its objective? How does it work? As an endeavor, how successful is it? What sort of potential do you see in it for future development? At the beginning of class on November 11, everyone will make a short (5-minute) presentation on the project of their choosing. A short (1-2 page) written review will outline your reactions to the project.
Final Project Presentation
You will present the results of your final project to the class in the format of a traditional conference paper (15-20 minutes of presentation, 5-10 minutes of discussion). The presentations should feature a clear articulation of your research question and background, an explanation of what methods you used (and why they are appropriate to your research question), polished visual presentation of your analysis and interpretation, and your conclusions, reactions, and directions for future work on the topic.
Final Project
The final project should closely reflect your final presentation, but may see some minor changes and revisions based on further reading, additional analysis, and feedback from your colleagues after your presentation. It should include a clear articulation of your research question and background, an explanation of what methods you used (and why they are appropriate to your research question), a polished visual presentation of your analysis and interpretation, and your conclusions, reactions, and directions for future work on the topic. Additionally, you should have as an appendix your workflow and data management plan/structure.
Nota Bene: For purposes of centralization and ease of sharing feedback, all assignments will be submitted via Turnitin on the course Blackboard site.
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS
Friday, 2 September: Introduction to the Course
In-class: software and installations
Bibliographic overview with Abby Scheel, FSU Humanities Librarian at Strozier Library
In-class: software and installations
Bibliographic overview with Abby Scheel, FSU Humanities Librarian at Strozier Library
Friday, 9 September
2- and 3D Imaging
In-class: Reflectance Transformation Imaging of cuneiform tablets in Strozier's Special Collections with Rory Grennan, Manuscript and Instruction Archivist
2- and 3D Imaging
In-class: Reflectance Transformation Imaging of cuneiform tablets in Strozier's Special Collections with Rory Grennan, Manuscript and Instruction Archivist
Friday, 16 September
Working with (Messy) Datasets: OpenRefine
In-class: Guest lecture from Prof. Will Hanley, Department of History at FSU
Working with (Messy) Datasets: OpenRefine
In-class: Guest lecture from Prof. Will Hanley, Department of History at FSU
Friday, 23 September
Introduction to ArcGIS: Creating, Using and Maintaining a GIS
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapters 3-4, 11
Introduction to ArcGIS: Creating, Using and Maintaining a GIS
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapters 3-4, 11
Friday, 30 September
Imagery: Importation, Georectification, & Digitization
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapter 6, 12-13
Imagery: Importation, Georectification, & Digitization
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapter 6, 12-13
Friday, 7 October
Modeling and Prediction: Cost Surfaces and Least-Cost Path Analysis
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapter 20
Modeling and Prediction: Cost Surfaces and Least-Cost Path Analysis
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapter 20
Friday, 14 October
Spatial Analysis: Querying and Analyzing Data in ArcGIS Part I
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapters 7-8, 15-17
Spatial Analysis: Querying and Analyzing Data in ArcGIS Part I
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapters 7-8, 15-17
Friday, 21 October
Spatial Analysis: Querying and Analyzing Data in ArcGIS Part II
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapters 18-19
Spatial Analysis: Querying and Analyzing Data in ArcGIS Part II
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapters 18-19
Friday, 28 October
Analyzing a Social Network: Gephi
In-class: TBD
Analyzing a Social Network: Gephi
In-class: TBD
Friday, 4 November
Presenting Your Data: Graphs
In-class: Guest lecture and workshop with Dr. Steven Karacic
Presenting Your Data: Graphs
In-class: Guest lecture and workshop with Dr. Steven Karacic
Friday, 11 November
Presenting Your Data: Adobe Illustrator & WebGIS
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapters 5 & 10; Illustrator
Presenting Your Data: Adobe Illustrator & WebGIS
In-class: Getting to Know ArcGIS Chapters 5 & 10; Illustrator
Friday, 18 November: No class
Conference: Invisible Work in Digital Humanities (FSU)
Conference: Invisible Work in Digital Humanities (FSU)
Friday, 23 November: No class (Thanksgiving holiday)
Friday, 2 December
Final Presentations
Final Presentations
Friday, 9 December
Final Presentations
Final Presentations
