HIST 200
Introduction to Digital Archives
1. Catalog Entry
HIST 200
Introduction to Digital Archives
Credit hours (3)
This introduction to and practicum in the field of digital archives will cover an introduction to the creation, presentation, analysis, and research of digital archival collections. Students will immerse themselves in archival material of historical significance and gain hands-on experience with digital archives.
Students with credit for HIST 400 cannot take HIST 200.
Detailed Description of Course
Specific archival content of the course will vary from semester to semester. Individual instructors will determine the archival collections students work with.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Course instruction may include presentations by the instructor and by guests, readings in archival collections and practice, demonstrations and training in digitization and transcription practices, and graded individual and group projects.
This introductory level practicum will provide students with an introduction to archival collections and introduce students to the field of digital archival creation. Students will be exposed to the methods of organizational collection and of processing archival collections through a hands-on experience with original archival materials. They will experience and learn the process of creating a digital archive including organizational schema, naming conventions, the technical process of digitization, and editing of digital images. Students will also create Finding Aids for archival and digital collections as well as learn about, and practice, Metadata entry for these collections. Students will be introduced to the process of transcribing archival materials.
Student Learning Outcomes
Student Goals and Objectives of the Course
Assessment Measures
The exact assessment measures will vary, but may include a variety of assignments: organization and processing of archival collections in both original and digital format, digitization of original archival material, creation of metadata, individual or group small projects, a digital e-portfolio, presentation of project, a final essay reflecting on the process.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
November 21, 2025