Classroom Versus Real Application
In my last post, I began to discuss how this internship has built upon what I have learned in my classes. In this post, I want to get into that conversation a bit more. We will be comparing what applications are like inside and outside the classroom.
Accessibility
I will not talk too much about this because of the last post tying it in. That being said, I did have a section of each of my classes that discussed what is accessibility and how it can be realistically achieved. Applying that to work outside the classroom, it can be a bit harder. I realized that to make my work accessible, I need to remind myself what accessibility I should hit. Or I have a WCAG Checklist to do the best I can. There are more links in my original post, but the one check list I use is by the A11Y Project.
Clean vs Messy Data
When considering all possible outcomes in DH research, an important process is messy or clean data. Clean data is managing typos, categorizing information correctly, and more. In the classroom, is understood as a helpful part of a project. But when applying this in a project is it more than necessary to get the truest results possible. In my internship, I would make sure that all the parish names lined up to get the correct death counts. Without that cleaning, my maps would not be anywhere near accurate.
Software
Looking at software I had been introduced to and was able to expand my use of, there are two that come to mind. QGIS and OpenRefine both do different things but produce great results when used together. OpenRefine is a program that aids in cleaning up data in many different ways while QGIS is a mapping program.
In my previous use, OpenRefine made no sense to me and felt like it had too many steps to use. Turns out I was wrong because it became a crucial part of the process. I have learned that the refining process saved me so much time by quickly fixing my (and the original documents) typo, different spellings, and more.
Next is GQIS, where users can input CSVs to plot and map information. With QGIS, I had the opposite reaction than I did to OpenRefine. I thought GIS was easier and more useful because I did not understand the nuance of the two at the time. After managing the learning curve, I can say that GIS is extremely useful and has more uses than the classroom can show.
Overall
I can say that the application of tools and theory in DH are a bit different in the classroom to outside work. These tools and theories can differ in the sense of how the user applies them or the dedication to their use in every part of the process. But as long as the user has experience with these practices, they can become a great fit to the DH field.