A Case Study in Creating Transparency in Using Cultural Big Data: The Legacy of Slavery Project

The Maryland State Archives (MSA) and the Digital Curation Innovation Center (DCIC) of the University of Maryland’s iSchool are collaborating on a digital project that utilizes digital strategies and technologies to create an in-depth understanding of the African-American experience in Maryland during the era of slavery. Utilizing crowdsourcing for transcription, data cleaning and transformation techniques, and data visualization strategies, the joint project team is creating new avenues for understanding the complex web of relationships that undergirded the institution of slavery. iSchool students, full participants on the project team, are learning digital curation and other technical skills while gaining insights into the multiple uses of how cultural Big Data can penetrate the past and illuminate the present.