Reading Assignment - D_H Short Guide (Undergraduates & Graduates): Qingyu Cai
This final section is a detailed introduction to digital humanities as a new field. I entirely agree with the two aspects the author has mentioned. The first one is about the definition of digital humanities. The author said that this field is defined by the opportunities and challenges that arise from the conjunction of the term digital with the term of humanities to form a new collective singular. And I entirely agree with this definition because I find that digital and humanities are two opposite terms based on their thinking mode, origin, and methodology. When these two terms are combined, the relationship makes up the essential part of this new field. The key points of the relationship are how these two terms influence each other, how these two interact, and how new challenges and opportunities emerge.
The second aspect the author clarified in the topic of the project as a basic unit emphasizes the importance of teamwork and collaboration. The feature of the project base determines a different research and teaching method from traditional forms in humanities. Since its focus is on the relationship between digital and humanities, it requires knowledge in diverse fields, which means that expertise in different areas should work together. And in this process, teamwork requires collaboration in learning, skill sets, and working styles. However, here comes a question. The project as a new way to research the new field requires both theoretical and practical knowledge, which sounds like a process of learning by doing. I am not sure when this new field develops and becomes more mature, will this project-based form change to other ones? And will there be more and more expertise in digital humanities, which means that teamwork will not be as necessary as it is now?