All posts by jwbaker

James Baker is Director of Digital Humanities at the University of Southampton. James is a Software Sustainability Institute Fellow, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and holds degrees from the University of Southampton and latterly the University of Kent, where in 2010 he completed his doctoral research on the late-Georgian artist-engraver Isaac Cruikshank. James works at the intersection of history, cultural heritage, and digital technologies. He is currently working on a history of knowledge organisation in twentieth century Britain. In 2021, I begin a major new Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project 'Beyond Notability: Re-evaluating Women’s Work in Archaeology, History and Heritage, 1870 – 1950'. Previous externally funded research projects have focused on legacy descriptions of art objects ('Legacies of Catalogue Descriptions and Curatorial Voice: Opportunities for Digital Scholarship', Arts and Humanities Research Council), the preservation of intangible cultural heritage ('Coptic Culture Conservation Collective', British Council, and 'Heritage Repertoires for inclusive and sustainable development', British Academy), the born digital archival record ('Digital Forensics in the Historical Humanities', European Commission), and decolonial futures for museum collections ('Making African Connections: Decolonial Futures for Colonial Collections', Arts and Humanities Research Council). Prior to joining Southampton, James held positions of Senior Lecturer in Digital History and Archives at the University of Sussex and Director of the Sussex Humanities Lab, Digital Curator at the British Library, and Postdoctoral Fellow with the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art. He is a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council Peer Review College, a convenor of the Institute of Historical Research Digital History seminar, a member of The Programming Historian Editorial Board and a Director of ProgHist Ltd (Company Number 12192946), and an International Advisory Board Member of British Art Studies.
Research, Writing

Academic Writing Month 2013

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Once more I’m taking part in Academic Writing Month, or #AcWriMo as it is known on the twitters. Last year I found it invaluable to get a book project going,  this year I’m hoping to use it to refine that book and an associated book proposal (stab two based on feedback, comments and a not unexpected rejection).

For those new to this, the 6 basic rules of #AcWriMo are:

  1. Decide on your goal.
  2. Declare it!
  3. Draft a strategy.
  4. Discuss your progress.
  5. Don’t slack off.
  6. Declare your results.

Last year I was on a fellowship when #AcWriMo rolled around, this year I’ll have to fit my writing around my day job, so my expectations are far more modest. Anyway, here goes:

  1. Complete the book, including all lingering referencing and footnote issues. Complete a book proposal for that book and submit it.
  2. Consider it declared!
  3. For some time now I’ve maintained a week by week Gannt Chart of my research and writing with 2/3 months of forward planning. I also draft a daily research and writing plan every Friday for the following week. So in sum, I’ll be organised.
  4. I will. I’m barely off Twitter.
  5. I usually research or write during 6 of my 10 one-hour train journeys each week (I’m a commuter). I’ll bump this up to 8 for AcWriMo.
  6. I will, promise!