Description of the Data
The data that we are interested in collecting includes text, images, videos and audio surrounding our Freedom Dreaming project and concept. For starting out, we may begin by only collecting text and images, and as the project progresses add in video and audio. The data may be obtained through online submissions on our website, and on the social networks of Twitter and Instagram. The process is two fold: data submission and collection/archiving.
Data Storage and Protection
The data will be presented on our website for the public to see and review as they wish. One of our current challenges is determining how this data will be stored on the backend, so we are currently researching and exploring our options. Currently, we are looking into Google Cloud infrastructure, Firebase database, and Flamelink as a content management service.
Ultimately, the main purpose of our project is to make the data readily available and visible for individuals to see in real-time. By visually displaying the data that is received, we are taking the practice of conscious-raising used within the United States social movements in the 1960s and 1970s and applying it to the digital world. We are considering how conscious-raising and awareness of systemic oppression can be used as a pedagogical tool to teach empathy towards others’ lives and experiences.
Data Format and Documentation
The digital data format is largely dependent on how we decide to collect data on the backend. We are still considering our methods for formatting and documenting the data, but we are interested in learning ways to sort the data by date of input, type, location, source, etc.
One option we may consider is keeping the data on Google drive for the email address we plan to create for the project and website questions or comments. We may decide to collect the data at regular intervals (every six months, every month etc.) and include it within our files in addition to a backend database. These Google spreadsheet files can be shared on our website as well.
Data Access, Sharing, and Archiving
The project itself is designed in a way that presents data instantaneously to the audience. This is important because we want individuals to feel their voice is heard and shared with our audience with the exception of harmful and hateful content. Content moderation will be done to ensure that no harmful or hateful submissions are presented on the website. For website submissions, we will simply remove content that is harmful and hateful at our discretion. For Twitter and Instagram, we will utilize the measures that these platforms already have in place for removing inappropriate content. We alert all members who submit content to our site or social media campaigns that we reserve the right to remove or report this content as needed. ‘
Long-Term Archiving and Preservation
After the research is complete, the website will remain and continue to collect data. We hope to continue our outreach efforts after our class concludes in hopes that this project continues to be far-reaching. Additionally, it would be interesting to analyze the data at a later date to consider the type(s) of submissions we receive, the audience we reach, if particular systems of oppression are more visible than others etc.
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One Comment
Thanks for sharing this, team. I think the decision to stick to two forms of data right now sounds very reasonable. With regards to storage and data management, I’d encourage you to consider open-access and non-proprietary platforms as much as possible. A SQL database for instance might make sense in terms of back-end storage that you can later upload to the site and make into dynamic searching and browsing. An Omeka installation can help conceive of both data entry and display simultaneously. However, if there is no time to learn a new platform in the workplan, keeping spreadsheets on Google/Excel might suffice for this phase of the project. Any of these options would allow you to sort information, but I’d recommend scheduling a meeting with Steve or with a digital fellow who specializes in databases to figure out what makes most sense for the type of work you are doing. There is also an Omeka workshop next week (sadly during class time, but it if some team members need to attend it just let me know).
As for displaying, WordPress has some image- and post-centered themes that might work well with the project–you could configure for instance a slide banner that features random posts on the front page to invite users in. Omeka is by design exhibit-focused, so that could be a good place to go as well in terms of curating the content that comes in through Twitter, Instagram, and website submissions. As speaking of these: it sounds like submissions will be going through an email address, so you will want a plan for how often you manually enter these into your database as well.
Incidentally, I’d like to hear more about how instantaneous you expect the project to be. With Twitter and Instagram we deal with automatic posting, but it sounds like you still want to review the content to repost, share, comment, and store. It will be worth discussing how often this work is undertaken–rather periodically or once you receive X number of entries, for instance. The same is true for the website: while you’re generating interest and engaging your audience, you might experience a slow enough volume of information, but it will be crucial to have a plan in place for how/how often you will deal with the influx of data.
Finally: since the project will begin with a purchased domain that is set to expire, consider having some discussions early on about sustainability: will you move the site to a free space after this first year? Consider self-funding for the next year or two? Use Patron/Go-Fund Me/academic grants to seek additional support? This project has so much potential and I think it will generate a lot of positive attention, so it will help to have these decisions down early on.