A Definition of Digital Humanities

The definition of digital humanities can be explained as an interdisciplinary field of study that utilizes digital tools and resources to help members in the field study, research, and document human history, culture, and experiences. Similar to how we study the humanities, the digital side of digital humanities adds newer aspects to the mix, such as digitizing material, data mining the things we need for research, and presenting these findings in a digital format or setting. It’s origins can be viewed as a theoretical concept that combines these factors together. What was once viewed as a singular identity has now transformed into a complex and multifaceted field of study. This is because the digital humanities requires a multitude of scholars, archivists, historians, and other prospective members of the humanities to work both independently and collaboratively to provide creativity, new ideas, and public distribution of materials for use. In a way, we can think of the digital humanities as a bridge between the multiple branches and the humanities professionals and practices that help make the field what it is. Even with all that in mind, the digital humanities can still be seen by some as a theoretical or philosophical concept, since both the use of technology in the field is fairly new. Despite its infancy, the digital humanities is similar to other fields utilizing digital tools and resources to further accumulate data and research to help answer questions or form conclusions.