1) Research Questions1. What skills and competencies do scholars working in

digital humanities) need to curate their data?

2. What data have digital humanists used (reused or

created or both) in their SUG project?

3. What sort of learning framework would be most

useful to help them learn about curating their data?

2) Study ContextOffice of Digital Humanities (ODH)

Start-Up Grants (SUGs):

•$30,000-$60,000

•Up to eighteen months in duration

•Data Management Plan required

•Data: citations, code, algorithms, digital tools,

documentation, databases, and GIS

4) Results

Alex H. Poole

School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

ahpoole@email.unc.edu | www.alexhpoole.wordpress.com

3) Study Methods 5) Digital Curation Education for the Digital Humanities: A Recipe

Forging a cultural commonwealth: the importance of

digital curation in the digital humanities

Digital Curation:“Involves the management of digital objects over their

entire lifecycle, ranging from pre-creation activities

wherein systems are designed, and file formats and

other data creation standards are established, through

ongoing capture of evolving contextual information for

digital assets housed in archival repositories” (Lee and

Tibbo, 2007).

Digital Humanities: “a global, trans-historical, and

transmedia approach to

knowledge and meaning-

making” (Burdick et al. 2012,

vii).

ProjectsThe study explored 7 ODH Planning grants and 12 ODH Implementation grants.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Database

Workshop

Tool

Develop best practices

Pilot preservation project

Model

Scholarly publication

Preservation strategies

Prototype platform

Software

Projects (n = 19)

Typ

e

Deliverables

Interviewees

EducationTwo of the 45 researchers had prior formal

digital curation education.

0

10

20

30

40

50

PhDDigital

Humanist

2225

2320

Yes

No

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Administrative Systems

Archaeology

Art History

Center or Institute

Classical Studies

Computer and Information Sciences

Computer Science

Digital Media

Digital Technology and Culture

English

Geosciences

History

Independent

Library and Information Science

Music

Literature, Media, and…

Theology

University Library

Writing, Rhetoric, & American…

Not Applicable

Home Departments

Data

288

5

4

Plans to Reuse Project Data (n = 45)

Yes No Unsure N/A

17

2

Provision for Institutional Data Storage (n = 19)

Yes

No

17

2

Reuse of Previously-Generated Data (n = 19)

Yes

No

Collaboration

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Archivists Involved Librarians Involved

Yes

No

Need for more

collaborations

among digital

humanists,

archivists, and

librarians.

Qualitative Case Study

Emergent Design

Snowball Sampling

Semi-Structured Interviews

Grounded Analysis

Interviews: Challenges Faced and

Lessons Learned

Data Issues

Collaboration

Awareness and

Outreach

Planning and Project

Mgmt

Resource Issues

Tech Issues

Type of Data Created Number of Projects (n = 19)

White Paper 19 (100%)

Publications 8 (42%)

Code 5 (26%)

Database 4 (21%)

Meeting Records 4 (21%)

Software 4 (21%)

Blog 3 (16%)

Curriculum 2 (11%)

Datasets 2 (11%)

Documentation 2 (11%)

Interface 2 (11%)

Metadata 2 (11%)

Model 2 (11%)

Recommendations 2 (11%)

Algorithm 1 (5%)

Compound Objects 1 (5%)

GIS Archive 1 (5%)

Images 1 (5%)

Interview Transcripts 1 (5%)

Lexicographical Data 1 (5%)

Macros 1 (5%)

Map Files 1 (5%)

Metadata Standards 1 (5%)

Modules 1 (5%)

Multimedia Reports 1 (5%)

Repository 1 (5%)

RDF Documents 1 (5%)

Rules 1 (5%)

Scalar Documents 1 (5%)

Toolkit 1 (5%)

Videos 1 (5%)

Wiki 1 (5%)

Workflows 1 (5%)

0 2 4 6 8

Archivist

Assistant Professor

Associate Director

Associate Professor

Curator

Data Mgmt Consultant

Director

Doctoral student

Faculty

GIS Architect

Independent

Librarian

Master's student

Post-doc

Professor

Project Manager

Sr. Program Officer

Job Titles

Lessons from the Literature: Key Variables

Duration/Credit Hours Technology

Audience Outreach and Awareness

Delivery Method Practicums

Program Foci and Content Professional Development

Program Structure Program Evaluation

Competencies and Skills Sustainability

Disciplinarity and Domain Generalizability

Collaborators

Digital curation skills

are imperative to ensure

project data remains

reusable.

Creating Data

Processing Data

Analyzing DataPreserving Data

Accessing Data

Reusing Data

Research Data Lifecycle (UK Data Service)

DigCCurrMatrix

Mandates, Values, and Principles

Functions and Skills

Professional, Disciplinary, Institutional,

and Organization Knowledge

Type of Resource

Prerequisite Knowledge

Transition Point in

Information Continuum Vitae

Researcher Develop-

mentFramework

Knowl-edge and Intellect

Practical Effective-

ness

Research Govern-ance and Organiz-

ation

Engage, Influence,

and Impact

SCONUL Seven

Pillars of Info

Literacy

Scope

Plan

Gather

EvaluateManage

Present

Identify

AcknowledgementsSincere thanks to the members of my

dissertation committee (Helen Tibbo

(Chair), Cal Lee, Ryan Shaw, Sandra

Hughes-Hassell, and Costis Dallas),

to my interviewees, and to Vida

Djaghouri.