Vocab Term: Digital Platform

Definition: Digital Humanities are dependent on digital platforms. Though, the platform itself upon which projects like archives, games, and stories exist is an area of research for digital humanities. Exploring how platforms and their designs influence certain multimedia DH projects has been an area of discussion. Understanding how the codes of a platform influences the entire aesthetic of a project is a topic that is often discussed.

DH Source: Platforms are integral to DH. Often, there is a focus on trying to transform rather tedious information into information that is engaging and readily accessible. Those within the DH community need to know how to best present information on a particular platform. To accomplish this, there is often some theorizing about media platforms; which involves: “investigat[ing] the relationships between hardware and software design of computing systems and the creative works produced on those systems” (Gold 146).

Commentary: It’s this part of DH where there is a lot crossing over into webdesign and usability aspect of DH, including knowing and understanding code. Understanding platform mechanics and how they’re used as a benefit rather than a hindrance involves applying practical knowledge about how to make and use certain DH tools. This is the part of DH that involves the most significant learning curve, especially when it comes to more technical aspects.

Matthew Gold. “Digital Humanities” The Johns Hopkins Guide to Digital Media, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014.