Tag: transcription

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Assignment #1

Assignment #1

Transcribing the Moravian manuscripts was a very interesting, as well as a rewarding experience. My task was to transcribe the Moravian manuscripts to create a digital edition by using a photo of the original archival document from archives in Bethlehem and London. To transcribe, I utilized the transcription desk on the Moravian Lives website, which was a very neat platform.

At first, the pages I was assigned by my group leader to transcribe seemed daunting. I had not primarily written or read cursive writing since the third grade, so reading the Moravian manuscripts was difficult at first. I felt a lot of pressure to be accurate in my transcription because I knew that if I transcribed something incorrectly, there would be negative effects on my work later in the course and the research project as a whole. Over time, recognizing words and abbreviations became easier, allowing me to transcribe the documents faster. The group setting made it particularly simple for me to get help when I was stuck on a word or unsure of an abbreviation. Specifically, my team (Brendan, Olivia, and Ethan) would help one another whenever they ran into trouble and look over each other’s documents to ensure accuracy. It was great to have such a strong group, especially when I just needed a second pair of eyes (and sometimes third) on my document.

The pages I was assigned detailed the lives of Joesph Lingard and Henry Unger. Over the days I spent transcribing the pages, I feel that I have been able to better understand the Moravians because I walked in the shoes of both Henry and Joesph. I look forward to the work to come as I will able to delve deeper into the lives of Henry and Joesph by doing text analysis and mapping.

My Transcriptions:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17GZrXSICM6RDmdVB0SJjc1tS1njQ8CnGb-IUI9HrVKw/edit

Joesph Lingard Page 01

Joesph Lingard Page 02

Joesph Lingard Page 03

Joesph Lingard Page 04

Henry Unger Page 02 & 03

 

 

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Blog #1

Olivia Smith- Blog Post #1

Creating digital artifacts from archival documents has allowed for historical documents to become more accessible. For those who are interested in viewing and researching such topics related to those artifacts, they are able to view them digitally through websites like the ones we have explored in class. The benefits of utilizing digital artifacts is that it decreases the chances of them being destroyed. Over time many of these documents can get lost, so converting them into a digital form will help prevent this from happening. A disadvantage to this method is that when they become digitized, the person who is transcribing them could be challenged by the language or handwriting of the artifact. Important information could have the potential to get lost in this process.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BXfNKGrbhVY/maxresdefault.jpg

After exploring the Moravian Lives project, I was able to connect it to the other large-scale DH projects we have explored because of how interactive it was. Many of these projects take old archives and make them more interesting with a technological twist that is both educational and involving. Personally, I found the Moravian Lives project website to be the most educational because I was interacting with the artifacts. I was plugging in information and learning about the different migration routes that people took from the Moravian Church. This website and the Old Weather website also allow people to add their own contributions to the project by helping transcribe. In addition, already transcribed material is easily accessible on these website. Viewers can access this material at any point.

Moravian Lives Transcription Desk

Since transforming historical texts can sometimes inadvertently remove the history of the actual artifact, transcribers can work to create an online reading interface that still presents the history of the document. It could be something as simple as photoshopping the transcribed digital artifact onto the document. Also, if it is possible, the website could include a 360 degree view of the artifact so that the viewer could gain full experience as if being in the actual presence of it. I know that it is very hard to completely replicate the idea of reading an actual artifact, but creating a way that the viewer can both see and move the document digitally is very close to replicating the physical experience of reading it.

Because these websites are easily accessible, it has allowed for a shift in educational opportunities. Students can now access historical documents at any point in their education due to the work that transcribers have done. These documents might be ones that students would have never been able to see if it weren’t for their digitization. Though they are not provided with a hard copy of the material, what they can access is free and attainable. This material can provide educational experiences, just like the Moravian Lives project, that contains interactive material that can benefit many students learning experiences. Digital artifacts has greatly enhanced educational experiences for students around the world because it has combined historical artifacts with modern day technology to create a way that everyone can enjoy history.

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Blog #1

Blog #1: “On Material and Digital Archives”

Creating a digital artifact from archival documents allows for a much more pleasurable experience for research. Digital artifacts are able to compile vast amounts of information into one place. This allows for much more accessibility, than traveling the world viewing artifacts in each location. Many more people are able to view artifacts online, where they do not have the time or money to view all those artifacts in person. Additionally, many artifacts are in old handwriting styles that not everybody can understand, so digitizing these allows everybody to be able to easily view. Also, many artifacts are old and very fragile, but digitizing these allows anybody to view artifacts without risk of damaging preserved materials. I feel these digital artifacts are sufficient enough that there is basically no need to view the physical original artifacts. When transcribed and put together well, these digital artifacts provide all the information you would acquire from viewing the physical artifact. These articles are often categorized allowing you to more specifically research your interests.Overall, digital artifacts allow for viewers to easily find more information in one place than ever possible before. 

One problem I could see occurring from digital artifacts is human error. When texts are transcribed by humans, there is always the possibility of something being transcribed poorly. This would result in the research of an inaccurate representation of an artifact. Another issue is these digital artifacts need to be maintained well also. The digital world is constantly evolving, so these resources need to have people making sure their artifacts are staying up to the standards. This causes more time and money to go into the process. However, if everything is transcribed well, digital artifacts are much more efficient for researchers, though take much effort from authors.

I believe while the world is evolving, so are the research strategies. Researchers are often interacting more with the material on the screen rather than the printed page. This allows for accessibility to more researchers, creating even more information. As research continues to evolve into the digital world, we will continue to have more information provided at the click of a button. This is truly a remarkable evolution, as there has never been so much knowledge in one place than we have today.

Also, digitized texts are able to highlight key pieces of information one might not even notice through printed texts. Long artifacts would be skimmed through by most people. But through design of a digital source, authors are able to highlight pieces of information they find important. For example, the Selfie City (http://selfiecity.net/#) page I explored provides statistics on what they believed to be their most important findings. This clearly shows viewers the key pieces of information they might not pick up on while researching on their own.

The Moravian Lives project contains a map, which shows viewers where the authors found all their information. This is the same experience I had when viewing The Early Map of London (https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/agas.htm). These authors make sure to provide exactly where their sources come from allowing users to easily verify the authenticity of their work, limiting any possibility of error in one’s research. Additionally, they both start with a distant view, but allow you to zoom in on areas of focus, giving researchers full control over their work.