Sunday, October 25, 2009

In the beginning

My History MA course required me to make a choice between taking a module on “Historical Research Skills” or “Digital History” after seeing what would be covered in both courses, I decided on Digital History, it seemed more pertinent to what I’m studying – contemporary US Foreign Policy. I liked the fact that it would be a smaller class (perhaps due to the 9am start...) and that it would be the same lecturer each week rather than some assorted collection.

Having said that, if I had been informed that I would have to create a blog I may have thought twice about taking the module. I have written blogs before but they weren’t academic, and so I’m not sure what style of writing I should adopt. The vast majority of blogs I read are about serious topics but written in an informal way, they are very interesting and successful though their aim is to reach the largest number of people and perhaps to produce the largest advertising revenue. As my aim is purely academic I’m not entirely sure what style of writing I should adopt, though I’m sure over the next few blogs it will come to me!

In my first blog I ought to state that I am gaining some inspiration from the class in the University of Western Ontario who are also taking a Digital History course. Being from the other side of the Atlantic they started their course several weeks before us, so I have some idea of what is expected of the blog.

This is the link Mike Cosgrave provided us, it lists the students in the class and their blog URL:

http://digitalhistory.wikispot.org/UWO_History_9808A_Digital_History_Fall_2009