Argument of the Project
My final project will be a digital archive on the 2024 US Presidential Election. My archive aims to provide an in-depth, dynamic, and accessible resource for understanding the key events, figures, and narratives that are currently shaping (and will shape) this critical moment in American history. By curating and presenting a diverse range of both primary and secondary sources, the archive will explore significant developments such as the decisions of major political figures, the marketing strategies employed by candidates, and pivotal events that influenced public opinion and election outcomes. I plan to investigate all political perspectives, including the Democratic, Republican, and Third-Party/Independent influences, allowing for a more holistic view of the campaign. Moreover, the use of Omeka allows for comprehensive metadata tagging, ensuring that users can easily search and explore the collection, which will help me have a long-term impact. The digital format also supports the inclusion of multimedia elements such as images, speeches, and social media content, providing a more engaging experience for users.
Intellectual and Practical Justification
The 2024 US Presidential Election represents a pivotal point in contemporary American politics, marked by unprecedented events and strategies that warrant detailed examination. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, a constantly adapting and turbulent economy, and continuous sociopolitical conflicts, the future leadership of the United States comes at a decisive time. Thus, focusing on the 2024 US Presidential Election for this digital archive project is both practical and relevant; The significance of the 2024 election cannot be overstated, as it is a current event with far-reaching implications on national and international politics. Documenting this election ensures that the information is preserved while it is still fresh, making it valuable for immediate educational purposes and future research. The high level of public interest in this election also ensures that the archive will attract a broad audience, including students, educators, researchers, and the general public.
Furthermore, the educational value of the project is substantial, offering insights into modern political processes, media strategies, and public opinion dynamics. Broadly, my target audience includes the citizens of the United States of America, as they will be most affected by the election. Consequently, my archive will serve as a vital resource for courses in political science, history, media studies, and related fields — an intersection that is crucial in the interdisciplinary nature of digital humanities. Additionally, the digital format ensures that these materials are accessible and preserved for the long term, which is particularly important for changing content like social media posts and live event footage.
Ultimately, this approach fills existing gaps in archival resources and provides a holistic view of the election. By ensuring accessibility and preservation, the archive will make these critical documents and analyses available to a wide audience, enhancing both scholarly research and public understanding of the 2024 US Presidential Election.
Evaluation Criteria
I plan on evaluating my work under several criteria to ensure it meets the archiving standards learned in class, including engagement, accessibility, usability, and scholarship. Notably, I will analyze all of the content on my archive, making sure that all resources are assessed for accuracy, depth, and diversity. I will take care to ensure minimal, if any, biases are displayed in my archive. This includes reading each source thoroughly and understanding its background and usage before adding it to my archive. By doing extensive research on the sources, I hope that I can negate any possible biases that come up. I also plan on emphasizing critical analysis and contextualization of all events and figures listed to effectively convey the significance of the 2024 U.S. Election.
Additionally, I will also evaluate my archive for audience engagement and usability. The archive will be relevant and provide educational information, emphasizing documenting the historical nature of the current political climate. I will also adhere to web accessibility standards to the best of my ability, ensuring that it is accessible to all users. For example, I will attempt to integrate clear navigation such as search functionalities, which can make it easier for users to engage with the material. I will also use metadata schemes, such as Dublin Core, to ensure that the archive is understandable and usable for a wide diversity of people.
Ultimately, technical issues will also be considered, as I will be checking for broken links, grammar and spelling errors, and overall efficiency with my archive. With these considerations, I hope my archive will encompass a smooth user experience.
Hi Carolyn, I really like your topic because of how relevant it is to current politics. I hope that you will remember to stay objective when selecting your sources to include information from all sides instead of giving in to any personal biases. By including a variety of sources and perspectives, you should be able to ensure a well-rounded presentation of the events and figures involved. This approach will allow users to develop their interpretations of the election. Additionally, I like that you’ve clearly considered how to keep your audience engaged. The use of multimedia elements and a user-friendly design with Omeka will make the archive interactive and accessible. Ensuring clear navigation and comprehensive metadata tagging will help users easily find and explore the content. Lastly, using Omeka is a solid choice for structuring your digital archive, and the inclusion of HTML/CSS customization to improve aesthetics shows a thoughtful approach to user experience. Make sure the site is accessible to all, including those with color blindness, by choosing an appropriate color palette. Good luck and I look forward to seeing your project!
Content and interpretation:
You’ve presented a well-thought-out plan for creating a digital archive of the 2024 US Presidential Election. Your content is highly relevant and timely, aiming to capture a significant moment in American political history. I’m impressed by your clear understanding of the importance of documenting this event comprehensively, including various perspectives and multimedia elements. Your interpretation seems balanced, with a commendable commitment to exploring all political viewpoints. I particularly appreciate your emphasis on curating both primary and secondary sources, as this will provide a rich resource for users. However, I think your proposal could benefit from more specific examples of the types of sources you plan to include.
Audience engagement and usability:
Your proposal shows a strong focus on audience engagement and usability, which I find crucial for such a project. I agree with your recognition of the broad potential audience, including students, educators, researchers, and the general public. Your plan to use Omeka for comprehensive metadata tagging is an excellent choice for improving searchability and exploration of the archive. I’m also excited about your inclusion of multimedia elements, as this will certainly enhance engagement. Your evaluation criteria, such as implementing clear navigation and search functionalities, demonstrate a solid commitment to user-friendly design. However, I believe adding more detail on specific engagement strategies or interactive features could further strengthen this aspect of your proposal.
Appropriateness of technology:
I think your choice of creating a digital archive using Omeka is very appropriate for this project. As you’ve noted, it allows for the inclusion of diverse media types, comprehensive metadata tagging, and long-term preservation of digital content. I agree that the digital format is particularly suitable for capturing rapidly changing content like social media posts and live event footage. Your commitment to web accessibility standards is commendable and aligns well with the goal of creating a widely accessible resource. However, I feel the proposal could benefit from more details on how you plan to use specific technologies to handle different types of media or to create interactive features.
Overall, I find your project proposal promising, with a clear vision and strong justification. The main areas I’d suggest for improvement would be providing more specific examples of content you plan to include and elaborating on the technical details of implementation. I’m genuinely excited about the potential impact of your project and look forward to seeing how it develops.
I genuinely like your project proposal on the 2024 US Presidential Election. Not only is it relevant, but it would be an extremely valuable source where one can simply go to your archive and have a multitude of information on the election, especially if individuals are too busy to do their own research. The breadth of your archive, covering a wide array of political perspectives and sources, is impressive and essential for providing a well-rounded view of the election. By utilizing Omeka for metadata tagging and incorporating multimedia elements, you’re making sure that your archive will be both accessible and engaging, which will significantly boost its educational impact. Documenting the election while it’s still current will make your archive a crucial resource for both immediate and future research in political science, history, and media studies. Your thorough evaluation criteria reflect a solid dedication to accuracy, accessibility, and scholarly depth. Overall, your project is thoughtfully designed and has the potential to address gaps in archival resources, offering a comprehensive and user-friendly record of the 2024 US Presidential Election. I’m really looking forward to seeing it!
Hi Carolyn! I enjoyed reading through your evaluation plan. I think the use of multimedia elements and incorporating a user-friendly design with Omeka will make your archive stand out and allow users to navigate through the archive easily. One point to keep in mind when finalizing this project is to clearly define how you will prevent bias in the political information you will be reviewing, such as including information from all sides when selecting your sources. Another point is to pay attention to detail when it comes to accessibility standards. I would say to consider incorporating another interactive element, such as a timeline of the election timeline, to help users understand the full image of the election process. Good luck with your project!
Hi Carolyn,
This is an interesting project! I like how you articulated the importance of documenting the election, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. I also appreciate how clearly you’ve laid out a plan for how you’ll execute and evaluate your project. Omeka is a great choice for this, as you’ve mentioned due to the metadata scheme and the ability to manage a lot of information in a structured way. I think that’s really key given that your topic is so broad, the extra structure will be helpful in organizing it. I’m curious to know, and maybe you’ll articulate this in your final project—how do you see your project differing from the archive that is naturally being created by all the news and social media coverage of the election? Do you see your project as more curated? More historically contextualized? I think articulating this would be really beneficial to your project. Excited to see how it turns out and what artifacts you ended up archiving!