This week, we read about and worked on managing Digital Humanities projects, and we looked at some of the tools and ideas that can help a project stay organized. Before this class, I did not think very much about project management in the humanities. I usually thought of historical research as something more individual: reading, taking notes, looking at sources, and then writing. Digital Humanities projects are different because they often involve technology, data, deadlines, and several people working together. Griffin and Hayler point out that this relationship is not only between people. They write, “Such recognition challenges any understanding of collaboration as a solely human activity.”¹ This idea interested me because, in a DH project, digital tools and technologies are also part of how the work is created and how we understand the material.

One thing I learned is that a good project needs clear planning from the beginning. It is important to know what the goal of the project is, what tasks need to be completed, who is responsible for each task, and when those tasks should be finished. I also learned the meaning of a milestone in project management. A milestone is not just one small task. It is an important stage that shows that a major part of the project has been completed.

I also liked Tabak’s idea that a DH project should be flexible and can change while we are working on it. He writes, “The team should regularly reflect on how to become more effective, then tune and adjust its behaviour accordingly.”² I think this is important because it means that the original plan does not have to be perfect. We can create something, test it, see what works and what does not, and then improve it.

The readings also made me think more seriously about collaboration. Digital Humanities projects often bring together people with different skills, such as historians, librarians, programmers, designers, and students. Good communication is therefore very important. Team members need to know what they are doing, what other people are doing, and what problems may come up during the project.

I have to say that I am not really a fan of teamwork. I have not always had good experiences working in groups. Sometimes one person does much more work than others, sometimes communication is not clear, and sometimes people have different ideas about how the work should be done. Because of these experiences, I usually feel more comfortable when I am responsible for my own work.

Still, I understand that this kind of teamwork is part of Digital Humanities, and I am willing to try it and do my best. I think a tool like Basecamp can make teamwork easier because everything is more visible. We can create to-do lists, assign responsibilities, set deadlines, share files, write messages, and follow the progress of the project. Instead of wondering who is doing what, everyone can see the plan. Even though teamwork is not my favorite way of working, I will try to participate seriously and do my part as well as I can. Maybe having a clear structure, clear responsibilities, and better communication will make this experience better than some of my previous group projects.