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Constructing Data

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Constructing a dataset, as Trevor Owens of the Library of Congress explains, "requires choices about what and how to collect and how to encode the information" [1]. 
 

How and What to Collect


How to Encode Information

For digital collections, object metadata is frequently encoded in relational databases.  A relational database is a structured set of data that contains a series of formally described tables from which data can be queried or organized in different ways. This structure enhances searching, browsing, and exhibition functions by enabling users to access items and reassemble collections based on tabular information.
To create a collection with these functionas, you can build a relational database or use a digital publishing platform that functions as a relational database, such as Wordpress, Omeka, Scalar, and CollectiveAccess [2].  While building a database allows for greater customization and processing opportunities, using a digital publishing platform requires less labor and technical skill.

Whichever route you take, the first order of business is to develop a metadata schema for your collection. Metadata, or 'data about data,' "provides a means of indexing, accessing, preserving, and discovering digital resources" [3]. While archivists and curators use metadata to perform a range of functions related to managing and administering collections, digital humanists tend to focus on descriptive purposes. 




 

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  1. Data for Humanists Andrea Davis

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