After reviewing my initial definition of digital humanities that I created at the start of this course, I would keep the core of my definition intact, including acknowledging the field’s intentional interdisciplinary approach that integrates humanistic inquiry with advanced research, digital methods, infrastructure, and tools to analyze, create, interpret, amplify, and disseminate knowledge about the human condition. My revised definition also maintains the idea that DH requires collaboration among scholars, cultural heritage professionals, technology experts, and community partners, as well as the public, to preserve, curate, and interpret cultural heritage collections. Additionally, my revised definition would also emphasize the DH team’s responsibility to acknowledge issues of access, equity, and intersectional power in the DH process and in the finished work. Finally, my revised definition would still acknowledge scholars who contributed to the foundation of this field, including Booth and Posner, Drucker, Owens, and Unsworth), and the shifting definitions of the field over time (Bobley, 2008; Ide & Mylonam, 2004; Schnapp & Presner, 2009).

After completing this course, I recognize the importance of revising several aspects of my definition, including the recognition that digitized materials are the basis of DH projects, often with terms of use restrictions (Abbott, 2015; Terras, 2012). In addition, my revised definition should provide examples of digital humanities projects that apply various field methods to recognize the evolving nature of the field. I would modify my definition to include examples of digital archives, network analysis, digital storytelling, data visualization, mapping, and audio storytelling, along with legacy humanities practices, such as oral history, because these examples can better illustrate the power of digital humanities to make cultural materials accessible, meaningful and discoverable. I would additionally include a statement that DH continues to evolve and redefine itself to promote public engagement. Finally, my revised definition would include the significance and benefits of crowdsourced expertise knowledge to advance DH projects, particularly given the availability of AI-generated content, which threatens to pollute historical records with inaccurate information (Rosenzweig, 2006; Ridge et al., 2021).