The document presents a discussion on digital pathways in historical teaching, emphasizing the integration of close and distant reading techniques. It features anecdotal accounts of a female slave named Alice, highlighting her life experiences in historical Philadelphia. Additionally, it raises key questions regarding the implications of digitization and authority in historical scholarship.

1. M. H. Beals
Sheffield Hallam University
@mhbeals
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2. A PHILOSOPHY

3. AN OVERVIEW
Digital Pathways to Close Reading
Digital Pathways to Big Data
Incorporating Theories of the Digital
into Historical Teaching

4. CLOSE READING 1.0
• Reading the Text
• Reading Around the Topic
• Who, What, When, Where and Why
• Bias

5. CLOSE READING 2.0
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<text>
ALICE, THE NEGRO.
The following Account is copied from the Salopian Journal of
Dec. 15, 1802.
LATELY died, at Bristol, in Pennsylvania, a female slave, named ALICE,
aged 116 years. She was born in Philadelphia, of parents who came from Barbadoes,
and lived in that city until she was ten years old, when her master removed her to
Dunk's Ferry; in which neighbourhood she continued to the end of her days. She
remembers the ground on which Philadelphia stands, when it was a wilderness, and
when the Indians (its chief inhabitants) hunted wild game in the woods, while the
panther, the wolf, and the beast of the forest, were prowling about the wigwams and
cabins in which they lived.
</text>

6. CLOSE READING 2.5
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<text>
ALICE, THE NEGRO.
The following Account is copied from the <attribution pub="Salopian Journal"
pub_city="Shrewsbury" pub_country="United Kingdom">Salopian Journal</attribution>
of Dec. 15, 1802. LATELY died, at <location coordinates="40°06′12″N 74°51′05″W"
url="http://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Bristol%2C_Pennsylvania&
params=40_06_12_N_74_51_05_W_type:city%289726%29_region:US-PA">
Bristol, in Pennsylvania,</location> a female slave, named <individual name="Alice"
born="1686" died="1802">ALICE</individual>, aged 116 years.
She was born in <location coordinates="39°57′N 75°10′W" url="http://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php
?pagename=Philadelphia&params=39_57_N_75_10_W_type:city%281553165%29_region:US-PA">
Philadelphia</location>, of parents who came from Barbadoes, and lived in
that city until she was ten years old, when her master removed her to Dunk's Ferry;
in which neighbourhood she continued to the end of her days. <claim validity="unclear"
reason="born 4 years after founding">She remembers the ground on which Philadelphia
stands, when it was a wilderness, and when the Indians(its chief inhabitants) hunted
wild game in the woods, while the panther, the wolf, and the beast of the forest,
were prowling about the wigwams and cabins in which they lived.</claim>
</text>

7. CLOSE READING 3.0

8. DISTANT READING
• Linguistic Trends
• Topic Modelling
• Sentiment Analysis
• Publication Trends
• Reprint / Edition Tracking
• Digital Collaboration
• Integration of Close Reading

9. DISTANT READING

10. DISTANT READING

11. DIGITAL THEORY
To What Extent Does Digitisation and
Digitally Native Content Effect
Our Sources and
Our Role as Historians?

12. DIGITIZED ARCHIVES
• A Digital Version of a Traditional Space
• A Different but Recognisable Experience
• In-Built Authority and Credibility
• Questions Raised:
• Materiality
• Curation
• Malleability

13. DIGITISED MATERIAL
•Loss of Curation Autonomy
• Digitisation Choices
• Paywalls
•Software Limitations
•Digital Dependencies
•Temptation for Footnote Tableaus

14. DIGITAL ARCHIVES
• Exists in Myriad Forms
• Narrative Curation
• Non-Linear Curation
• Interactive Data Sets
• Raises Questions of
• Authority
• Authenticity
• Versionality
• Ephemerality

15. DIGITAL MATERIAL
• Google is not a Research Assistant
• Hidden & Inconstant Algorithms
• Herd Mentality Reshapes Focus
• Unclear Distinction Between
• Information Gathering
• Data Processing
• Scholarly Analysis
Image http://edtechdigest.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/trends-cartoon-ron-morgan/

16. CONCLUSION
Lessons You Learn from Digital History and
Digital Methods Training
You Are Not Replaceable
You Are Not Alone

17. CONCLUSION
Lessons Students Learn from Digital History and
Digital Methods Training
Take Pride in Your Work
Don’t Be Afraid to Re-Purpose
Try Harder
Seriously, Try Harder

18. BROUGHT TO YOU BY
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