At the end of the course students are able to:

• articulate the basic premises of relevant digital methods in the humanities (e.g. Digital Methods, Cultural Analytics), their paradigms, and forms

• carry out a small scale data-driven study in a group - meaning that they can gather data, prepare it for analysis, handle analysis software, and interpret the results

• reflect on the impact of digital tools on knowledge production

• think critically about data ethics in research practice following a structured format and succinctly report on these

• work in small teams on a joint data-driven project

• orally present work to a group of peers

How do you create knowledge from data? How can you turn a spreadsheet full of numbers and words into something intelligible? What avenues for humanities research can be explored by scholars who want to answer these questions? What are (ethical) pitfalls we need to avoid and drawbacks we need to account for in such research?

In this course, students are introduced to the most relevant digital methods in the humanities and their paradigms. We explore the basics of data collection and analysis using various digital methods (no prior experience is required) and use this practical know-how to critically engage with how interpretive decisions and digital tools impact knowledge production. Importantly, students learn how to manage themselves ethically in doing digital research.