When it came to data and this project, I once again thought I had things pretty well figured out. Take the information provided in the programs, take the information that we could find about each individual song, combine them each into their own CSV’s, plug them into the site, add the program PDFs, deploy to GitHub, and we’re good to go from there.

Of course, once again, that was only the beginning. Not only did we need to include what types of files were going to be in the project and how they would be named, but also:

• Who is responsible for backups in case we lose access to Google Drive / GitHub?
• Are the data file formats sustainable?

I hadn’t thought of keeping a copy of our data on a hard drive just in case (foolishly thinking that this is what the cloud was for) or that data file formats may not be sustainable (despite living through the Death of Flash). We really had to flesh out responsibilities relating to data, how we wanted to name / organize our files, what we were doing for backups, and what do we do if we lost our information.

In so doing, we became more familiar with what ownership of data means as well as why we are doing what we are doing when it comes to the backbone of the site (beyond well, this is what the framework needs). CSV’s and PDF’s aren’t proprietary, so we won’t need to worry about losing access to the data files in the future. Also, by agreeing on our file naming conventions now, we can ensure a cleaner repository in the future. Doing the DMP continued to help us as a team continue to be on the same page when it comes to file organization, our audience, data access, and contingency plans. Having these decisions made early in the game helps us to focus on our research, secure in the knowledge that we are prepared for what comes next.

Prior to our class where Steve Zweibel presented on data management plans I hadn’t really thought much about the data of our project. I still imagine data as rows on a spreadsheet (maybe they are??) and not as the programs, sheet music, photographs, and audio recordings. So it was helpful to get a sense of the full breadth of data and then the considerations in managing it. I feel like I have a lot to learn as far as documentation in a digital space, which is both exciting and daunting depending on the day. My team is patient and always willing to answer any questions I have about the technical lingo and what it all means, which helps it feel less overwhelming.

The exercise of doing the data management plan made me realize how much information we have and the importance of how we’re going to organize it, for both ourselves and for outside folks who may be interested in the dataset. Understanding and being able to navigate the data will be integral to the longevity and preservation of the project. Having these things in place as we’re beginning our research means we’re able to collect data with this goal in mind.

Writing up the data management plan has really organized what types of data we will be needing for our project. As the data lead, I think it was a great way to showcase my expertise but also learn new ways/skills to organize our data.

A few weeks ago, I thought our only pieces of data were the carousel metadata (like address, fees, etc.), the carousel spatial data, and the demographic data. Now, after listening to our guest, Stephen Zweibel, our team realized the photos, videos, our and the snippet of our individual visiting experience and review is also considered to be data.

Zweibel made me rethink what data is, it can be anything we use to make conclusions, visualizations, etc. Thinking about the stages of our data also helped make our data management plan, and also for me to add to our work plan. Thinking of cleaning the demographic data and adding time to do so, I thought of the step to be minimal and quick – but after our guest’s lecture, cleaning is a heavy task and requires attention to detail and time like other parts of our project.

Although, data is my strong suit – I always welcome the opportunity to learn from others in the field to continue to keep rethinking ways I use data.

Elijah Nunez is in the Digital Humanities Master’s Program at the CUNY grad center. He is in his 4^th semester and is interested in Puerto Rican Studies and digital project development and design. He works with CUNY as a Data analyst for CUNY Spring Forward and Career Launch Internship programs where he focuses on the implementation of new tools and management of data. He studies at CCNY and achieved a bachelor of arts in business management and black studies. In the Gender Disparities in Professional Wrestling project, he is the lead project developer and data visualization support.

Madison Watkins (she/they) is the Lead Data Visualization, UX Design, and Front-End Support for Gender Disparity in Professional Wrestling. Originally from Southern California, they moved to New York City to further pursue their studies and are currently a first-year M.A. student in the Digital Humanities program at The Graduate Center, CUNY. They hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UCLA, Class of 2023, with a specialization in computing and a minor in Film, Television, and Digital Media.

Watkins’ research interests center on mapping patterns of inequity and visualizing disparities in areas like education, food access, and public health. For this project, they are responsible for designing and implementing interactive data visualizations, refining the user experience, and supporting the front-end development of the website. Their goal is to use data and design to create engaging, accessible narratives that highlight gender disparities in professional wrestling, making complex patterns more transparent and compelling for a wider audience.

Leonard Santos (he/him) is a current M.S. student in the Data Analysis and Visualization program with an Advanced Certificate in Interactive Technology and Pedagogy at the CUNY Graduate Center. Outside of CUNY, Leonard is the Media Lab Administrator and an Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Department of Media, Culture, and Communication. He focuses on digital media, technology, and practice-based critical making in his work along with queer studies and suicide prevention. In the Carousels of NY project, Leonard in charge of outreach, photography, and web editing. Outside of work, Leonard can be found playing Dungeons & Dragons, producing theatrical works in NYC, and spending time with his cat, Willow.

Melissa McDonald (she/they) is a part time masters student at the CUNY Graduate Center in the Digital Humanities program and works full time as a Paralegal. They have their undergraduate degree in History and English, with interests in feminist theory, intersections of identity, queerness, and twin studies. Her academic career includes a proposal for a twin research database and an interactive fiction that explores identity in twins. They are a researcher, content editor, and social media/outreach specialist on the Women in Bandura project. When she’s not at school or working you can find her hanging out with her sister, watching movies with her wife, having a salon with friends, and staring longingly at her cats.