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.