The Harriet Tubman Resource Centre on the African Diaspora
Hosts A Database Construction Workshop
July 2-12, 2002
York University, Toronto
The Harriet Tubman Resource Centre on the African Diaspora hosted a Workshop on Database
Construction and the African Diaspora, July 2-12, at York University, with the support of
the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canada Foundation for
Innovation, the Ontario Innovation Trust and York University. The purpose of the Workshop
was to explore issues relating to database construction on topics relating to the African
diaspora. The Workshop was organized over two weeks, beginning with two days of formal
presentations, followed by a week and a half of targeted workshops devoted to hands-on
database construction.
On 2-3 July, there were formal presentations of database projects, followed by discussions
about the technical and logistical issues raised by database construction, as well as
exchanges regarding various types of sources and methodologies. Scholars dealing with
different parts of Africa and African diaspora history exchanged views and ideas about the
choices to be made while constructing datasets, ranging from detailed issues such as the
fields to be included to broader discussions about the technologies available and the
methodological and philosophical implications of their implementation. From 4-12 July,
there were informal working sessions devoted to database construction. Selected projects
currently underway were identified at a plenary session for the working sessions.
The Workshop was intended for graduate students and scholars studying the African
diaspora, and specifically provided a hands-on approach to databases and their
construction. Graduate students at York University were assigned specific projects like
the Historical Atlas which is under construction, as assistants in the use and
modification of existing databases and in the construction or expansion of current
projects. This collaborative activity advanced the development of various projects and
provided an opportunity for an exchange of expertise among the students and scholars.
One of the most critical discussions at the workshop arose from Professor Gwendolyn Midlo
Hall's suggestion that a central depository or clearing house of these datebases and
research tools like them be created. The possibility that the Harriet Tubman Resource
Centre might fulfill this role was raised and is still under consideration. |
