Gina G. Bennett, Ph.D.

I find that every day I am handling more and more data connected to my dissertation.  And while all of these historical “golden tickets” are very exciting, managing the Excel spread sheets and social networks that connect the various historical breadcrumbs is becoming an increasing challenge.  The geographic expanse of Scotland, Africa, Central and North America necessitates that I throw a wide net across the Atlantic.  (Oh, and let’s include a touch or two of Spain in the mix, just for good measure.)

So this week I will challenge myself to download and learn Gephi so I can better track my migration networks. (Yep, and it is especially wise to do this while planning, prepping, and cooking for Thanksgiving week, right?! What was I thinking?)  I am looking forward to learning a new program to add to my tool box.  In a few months maybe it will become as much second nature as Zotero is for me now.

Here’s what they have to say about their product:  (Please note that I am NOT endorsing the company in any way, just passing along the information on it.)

“The goal is to help data analysts to make hypothesis, intuitively discover patterns, isolate structure singularities or faults during data sourcing. It is a complementary tool to traditional statistics, as visual thinking with interactive interfaces…”  Gephi.org

Yes, something to help visual learners deal with statistics…so far, I’m all in!

I have included a link to their video below for any peers who are interested.  I would love to hear from anyone who uses this or other systems in their own research.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/9726202“>Gephi video link

So we will see…maybe the next time I check in I will have some of my own data to share with the wider blogosphere!

Here’s hoping!

Watch this spot for future updates on my progress…

This morning while working on my research for a current project dealing with Dahomey (Benin), Sierra Leone, and Scotland, I am reminded that my first introduction to history came from the oral histories of my family.  But it also brings to mind that I was sometimes a reluctant participant to history.  Adults in the family swapped stories and their ramblings often interfered with my childhood desires to pop firecrackers or water ski at lake. I dozed off only to wake up and find the stories continued, much like the background noise of cicadas on a summer night.

In spite of my childhood boredom, these narratives shaped a space in me that has germinated into a constant curiosity of history.  I could not imagine then that these struggles to keep my childhood eyes open would result in my pursuit of a Ph.D. in transatlantic history.  Yet, here I am, two years into the program, applying some of the same methods to the study of early modern societies. In addition to teaching several sections of U.S. History, these early connections also led me instruct a community class on genealogy research while completing my Master’s thesis (see flyer image above).  Once a week for a few months I helped others develop tools that expanded their own family histories. I personally benefited from this exchange when it allowed me to recharged by history batteries and experience the vicarious thrill when others broke down genealogy “brick walls.”

It is funny the paths that lead to academia…