Session Summaries by Emilie-Furtado

Data, Metadata and Tropy, 25-09-2024

During the session, we learned about and discussed the use of data and metadata. We learned that data is not only something for computer scientists and mathematicians, but that it has a place in many industries and in our private lives due to digitalization. Big data is becoming an integral part of historical sources. We have taken a closer look at what data and metadata are, where they come from and how they can become a historian’s tool for scientific research. Furthermore, we have defined that data is something that anyone can create, record, store, observe and analyze. It is very easily accessible and is becoming increasingly widespread through digitization. Metadata is used to describe data. It is created automatically by technology, but can be enhanced by a person or a group. We got the explanation visually with the help of a YouTube video and for further understanding we looked at data sets (Excel) and Twitter posts. Next, we got a brief introduction to Tropy and saw what we could do with it. Finally, we discussed and found out how classmates used data for their thesis. While we were learning all this, we also produced data ourselves while taking notes on Word, and we produced even more by completing this assignment. The course was very interesting. I know that data is very present in my life, but it is something that I am not actively aware of and therefore never really pay attention to. Data can make life and work easier, but I still need to learn how to deal with it. And I should no longer ignore it.

title: Session Summaries by Emilie-Furtado abstract: Summary-2 authors:

• emifurtado date: 2024-10-11 —

Web Archives, 02-10-2024

During the class we were divided into groups. The task was to analyze non-profit web archives within about 30 minutes and present them to the class. My group was given the topic “Fluidity of the web” and we had three questions to work on, so we split up the questions and worked indidivelately at first, but we helped each other when we found information that matched the question of the respective assigned person. To answer my question, I looked at the profiles that edited the Wikipedia page, I found two Bots. Bots add information or links to open repositories and fix common errors, but bots cannot recognize when databases contain errors or incomplete information. So they rely on the help of humans. But humans can be biased. I was able to find personal information about the user, such as their religion, origin or job, but some profiles did not contain personal information.  From the first presentation we mainly learned that it currently results in a lot of lawsuits from companies like book publishers, because these websites provide protected documents and therefore violate laws. In the following, we have learned about the role of the Bnl and Luxembourg Web Archive. The BnL collects, preserves and catalogs all publications related to the Grand Duchy and we learn that the internet/website are not available for eternity. Sources on the internet disappear or are no longer readable/up-to-date. We also see this later in the example of the website The September 11 Digital Archive. Then we learned about Micro-archiving: Family and personal archives in the digital age. Where the students find some information about themselves and family. At the last presentation we learned that many documents are not relatable because many were marked as unkown. We can’t trace it’s origin back properly.

title: Session Summaries by Emilie-Furtado abstract: Summary-3 authors:

• emifurtado date: 2024-10-13 —

Impresso, 09-10-2024

This course was again more about experimentation and independent exploration. In the first part of the lesson we were introduced to the Impresso website. Before that we had to read an article about Impresso that gave background information and explanations to help us follow the course better and sign a contract. In the course itself we were again divided into groups after the presentation and given the task of working with the tools and trying them out to get more familiar with the website. In my group we explored Inspect & Compare. This took a while and required a little help to get familiar with it. The first time we got no result, we tried to get results by translating the word „NATO Doppelbeschuss“ decision into French. The second time we got a result. This time we used the words „NATO Doppelbeschuss“ and Helmut Schmidt. We were then given the task of transferring our results to PowerPoint. In the last part of the course we had to present our founding in a short presentations. The short presentation not only helped us find out what our classmates are interested in, but also made us aware of limitations and other opportunities and gaps. Impresso is an interesting and helpful tool that I can use as a student of the university of luxembourg both for my thesis and for other presentations at the university. At the end of the course we talked about GitHub, which helped me better understand why we should use GitHub.

title: Session Summaries by Emilie-Furtado abstract: Summary-4 authors:

• emifurtado date: 2024-10-16 —

Map, 16-10-2024

We did an exercise where we drew a map of our campus and the results varied. There were different starting points (packaging, train station, university buildings etc.), which showed us that maps are subjective. I also found it interesting that some took a different perspective when drawing a map. Some drew the buildings from a two-point perspective, others from a bird’s eye view. After the presentation, I realized that I had misunderstood some things in the article and left out important details. For example, that a location is a specific place and space is a social construct. Both are two different things. Maps are sources. Much depends on who made the map (who commissioned it?) and who uses the map. Maps are not always accurate or/and have gaps. GIS (Geographic Information System) works in layers, which we can turn on and off.(can be used as a comparison tool) GIS is not equal maps. GIS also works without a map. We need geographical points for maps, scales and a compass direction. Data in a map can be represented in different ways. And boundaries change when we compare maps with each other. In the third part of the course we were divided into groups and had 1 hour to work on a story map. I was in the group with the Travel industry and i looked at the story map of the Olympic marathon. The group worked with bullet points, while our group wrote sentences. In their map you can see streets, houses and fields. Which makes sense in their map and would be rather superfluous in our map. Ours, although has a simple design, but it was still overwhelming due to the many symbols and text. Our map even included 2 more maps and a catalog and a diagram. Our map shows the Globus trading market, while the Olympia Group map is designed to show a specific location. Used for measuring and document a distance. (A staring point and final destination) They also had a chronology and multiple maps so you could compare them with each other, see an evolution. Both maps tell an individual story. The Olympia Group map uses pictures and text, and our map uses symbols, text and drawings and uses colors to provide more detail/a hierarchy.

title: Session Summaries by Emilie-Furtado abstract: Summary-5 authors:

• emifurtado date: 2024-10-23 —

  Palladio, 23-10-2024

  For this lesson we looked at networks and Palladio. We had to read 2 articles, an introduction where the origins, the pioneers and what it is used for were explained. We also had to read a tutorial, which I followed while reading. The lesson itself revolved around the topic: Why are networks important and why do historians want to study them? We collected ideas on the topic of wedding planning. Through the simulation (with the table extension) that we created, we see that there are already existing relationships, but there are also people who do not know each other yet. We can group them by age, languages, interests and relationship status, to see which people can be divided into which table. Left is always a group of “odd one” (which is not easy to put in a group). There are different dynamics in different tables. In the sense of relationship, communication and dominance. Someone can control multiple conversations; who talks to whom and who limits themselves to a few people. When different groups meet, different information is exchanged, but this does not necessarily mean that this information reaches everyone in the group. In networks there are also brokers. They are powerful (they have control, can decide whether to pass on information or keep it to themselves.) Over time, structures and dynamics can change. New network can emerge, e.g. some find themselves in the wedding. (Lovers) Afterwards we had a PowerPoint presentation. Where we learned what a social network. A specific set of links. (we saw different types in class) We can use it to explain why people behave differently in different groups. (Ex: smoking behavior, voting behavior etc.) Our behavior can also destroy networks. Relationships are important and how you are connected to them. Networks are flexible. Cases can be represented visually and networks are not limited to people. Social network analysis is both theory and method. Today, everything can be defined as a network. (expl: Family network) From the historical perspective, network can guide us to the self-perception of historical actors, to the metaphor for a group, to the constructed scientific research object and to the theory/method driven research approach. Finally, we had the task of creating our own wedding list. My group created this on Excel and used the table in Palladio. Thus, we created our own fictional network.

title: Session Summaries by Emilie-Furtado abstract: Summary-6 authors:

• emifurtado date: 2024-10-30 —

EP Archive, 30-10-2024

For this class, we received a presentation from Ludovic Delepine and Marco Amabilino from the European Parliament Archives. First, we were introduced to the team and then we watched a video that we had to see before the lesson. In the presentation, they explained the steps they had to take in developing the website. First, they wanted to make the documents managed by the Parliament more visual and accessible. Previously, the only way to access the documents was by email or in person. Technically speaking, they are a small team. They wanted to solve this problem digitally, so they needed a server and at the same time, the documents should be accessible from anywhere from now on. That’s how Archibot was born. Important figures were introduced such as Edgar F. Codd. In the beginning, documents were just pics because they were scanned. Now they need a solution to make the characters readable/recognizable. Another important figure who was introduced is Gerard Salton. Next, we learn that metadata is generated = deep learning. A model is trained to generate metadata. Next, they developed their own “ChatGPT” = “Ask the EP Archive”. The idea was to create a simple search file where you can ask questions and get an answer. It works in different languages and you get the answer in the language you ask in, even if the document is not available in the same language. ChatGPT is unreliable and sometimes gives made-up answers. They create a prompt that says it is unable to answer a question. They have also added to the system that it should not engage in discussions. The data is not shared, everything stays in their system and runs there. The system selects the 10 most important documents. If you want all the documents on a topic, you have to search yourself. We were also advised not to enter any personal data into the system. Questions were asked and answered in the discussion round. For example, we learned that translation is based on training. Some languages are better trained than others, so if they can’t translate something, it is automatically translated into English. We also learned that they use Amazon because of the contracts. We also talked about the main fears and prejudices. People are afraid of being replaced by machines. Humans and AI make mistakes. Both can support each other. Humans can spread information, just like AI (which can also spread wrong information), even professors have wrong answers. Nobody is perfect, even AI is not perfect. AI is not meant to be perfect or replace humans. They are a tool to promote and facilitate searching. They don’t want to replace the archive. 

title: Session Summaries by Emilie-Furtado abstract: Summary-7 authors:

• emifurtado date: 2024-11-06 —

DH-Theory, 06-11-2024

I was not present for this class and my summary is based on the PowerPoint presentation, the reading, and help from classmates. From the text, we learn that data is real research. Each step of selection, enrichment and classification is based on interpretation of the data. These interactions change the data. The PowerPoint deals with fake news and how we can deal with and recognize it. David Irving selects and cherry-picks the information he wants to use and denies Hitler’s crimes. He bends historical evidence until it conforms to his ideological leanings and political agenda. Poor historical scholarship can be proven by written records. But for data-based research we need other methods. We look at the wedding guest list network from session 6 to write down our decisions for each of the 5 steps. We had a pretty small marriage list, they are pretty much connected to the workplace. They are from the 21st century as we are more open to different genders (non-binary, for example) and relationship types (homosexuality), which are represented in the Excel file.  We focused on people who like and dislike each other in a workplace. Sources that can be used for our data are social media (follower list), (witness) statements and maybe text messages. The nodes can base on who is sitting at which table, with the edges defined by the same interests. We lack consistent data for example, standardization of name spellings and linking. Classification could be based on friends and enemies at workplace. Finally, we see the FAIR principle; the data does not disappear when the projects end. It still exists and was created by someone using an app, e.g. Excelsheet, it has a copyright, it can be linked and connected to other datasets and data sources and is it possible to connect our network to other weddings, how well?

title: Session Summaries by Emilie-Furtado abstract: Summary-8 authors:

• emifurtado date: 2024-12-04 —

Group exercice - (Jelena, Emilie, Samuel, Sébastien) - Voyant Tools – Churchill speech – File 2

Our group worked on assignment 1, regarding the speech made by Churchill at Fulton, Missouri in 1946, and linked with the notion of Iron Curtain, focusing here on file number 2 specifically and answering to two questions, which were:

1. Explore the word cloud (cirrus), the list of terms, and the links (on top left). What do you notice about the insights you obtain and how would you interpret them? Can you think of ways of using this kind of visualizations and lists?

2. Explore the contexts and collocations (on the bottom right). What do you notice about the insights you obtain and how would you interpret them? Can you think of ways of using this kind of visualizations and lists?

First, in the word cloud the most important words are bold and bigger and the less important words are smaller. The list of terms highlights positive (highlighted in green, for example powerful, confident, secure etc.) and negative (highlighted in red, for example lie, awful and weakness etc.) words. In Links that are blue that are also part of the most frequencies word. By choosing a Terms in a blue frame are connected to multiple terms. The Terms in an orange Frame are only connected with one term.

Then, the tab « contexts » permits us to see how one of the frequently appearing words occurs in its specific textual context at each of its occurrences. There, in a column for the left part and one on the right part, a snippet of the sentence containing the word is given, thus granting a vision of the context of its use. We can therefore not only see with the word cloud how many times a word appears, but here with the context, this appearance differs from each other, possibly on the thematic matter or the intended meaning and tone. Clicking on it make an excerpt from the used text appear. The display in our case concerns the word « World », which we can see in the two first given contexts, relate in the discourse of Churchill to World Power and to organisations on a worldwide scale, vastly different meaning. The tab « collocations » on the other hand lets us see how many times a specific word, that can be chosen via a menu at the bottom, has been appearing in relation to another specific one. For example, we can see the word « world », the most frequently appearing, has been aside the other term « organisation » a total of 9 times, thus underlining the importance of world organisations for Churchill and his intentions. One can also in this regard structure the shown results and collocation on the basic of their frequency in ascending order an in descending order. Furthermore, the collocation box highlights in the colours red words like adjective with a negative connotation and meaning and green those with positive ones. Here, Churchill used the strong word tyranny, to give an example.

Finally, our insight regarding distant reading is that in by deconstructing the speech made by Churchill via Voyant Tools for example, we can understand the whole text in a sort of summarised version where the key intents and wordings as well as their contexts and intent are highlighted more efficiently and visible than it might have been if read closely in a more regular way. We notice more clearly the style used by Churchill to accentuate certain aspects more positively and in a more encouraging manner or more negatively in a depreciating way.

title: Session Summaries by Emilie-Furtado abstract: Summary-9 authors:

• emifurtado date: 2024-12-11 —

Public History - 11-12-2024

The class was held by Dr. Joella van Donkersgoed and she spoke about oral and public history. However, without a PowerPoint, for technical reasons, which was sometimes disturbing, she presented her lecture very well even without a PowerPoint. At the beginning of the lesson, she introduced herself and the website “Historesch gesinn”, its origin, and herself. What I noticed was that some projects were not shown on my laptop, but were visible on the screen (at the university). Her presentation was very focused on projects that were carried out in Esch-sur-Alzette and she told us about how projects came about, how they went, and what she contributed. For example, she had to teach herself how to create websites, but she also talked about difficulties such as people either not being interested in projects, or having to give more support, and hints to get people to interact, which they originally wanted to avoid. We also worked together in class on a small exercise to get a better understanding of public history. Public history has 3 steps: Conception, and collection execution. Our class project was supposed to be digital, it was aimed at high school students, it was linked to the video game Warzoon and we wanted to use visual resources. In the end, she told us about her work and worries, but she was warmly welcomed and supported by the people/society. It is clear that public history does not work without society and that we are very dependent on it. But these projects also show that there are interesting stories hidden in society, which can lead to exciting results through the submission of sources. They are also an opportunity to give a platform to those who have been forgotten or even silenced in history.

title: Session Summaries by Emilie-Furtado abstract: Summary-10 authors:

• emifurtado date: 2024-12-18 —

Dissemination (Part II) & Case Studies ‘Journal of Digital History’; data papers

In this class, we talked about scientific/academic publishing and their access. First, we had a short presentation by Professor Papstamkoy, where she talked about the Journal of Digital History. Then we were divided into groups again. I was in group 1. We were under extreme time pressure and it was extremely loud in the class, which meant that no one in the group could focus, so we went outside and split up the group work. Our text was about Data from a Survey on computer courses for humanities majors. Our text was not freely available and as students, we were not given access to the text. We only got access through our professors. To summarize all group works that were presented in class, we learned that not all articles are free and can be extremely expensive to get access to all the data. This is due to the high demand and competition between publishers and the concepts are high prices and more difficult access to scientific works, thus limiting access. This leads to the Open Access movement to simplify access again. Online and peer-reviewed, which is a paper that has been evaluated and recognized by the scientific community, articles are useful so that you can work from anywhere, you become more flexible. They also lend credibility since even specialists double-check the information. In the end, the reflection and discussion were very interesting and enlightening. I never really thought about the background and process of publishing a scientific paper and what consequences it has.