Hybrid Dissertation Model

From the outset of this project, the final form of presentation has been envisioned as a combination of traditional history text displayed alongside interactive digital components in a unified website that allows readers and users to move between narratives, source materials, data, analyses, and conclusions according to their own interests. The two primary components of this dissertation—a text and a suite of interactive technologies—can be read and explored separately but also complement one another to form a more holistic perspective on sources, figures, and analyses. This approach meets the George Mason University (GMU) Department of History definition of a dissertation, which is “a piece of original scholarly writing that demonstrates a Ph.D. candidate’s mastery of subject matter, methodologies, and conceptual foundations in the chosen field of study.”⁵² It also conforms to the department policy on hybrid dissertations in which a student may produce “companion digital products to support and supplement their written dissertation.”⁵³

The textual component consists of four parts: 1) an introduction; 2) five content modules that are similar to chapters in a traditional dissertation; 3) an epilogue; and 4) a technical module reflecting on the process and technologies used to produce the project. The text will be deposited in the Mason Archival Repository Service (MARS) in PDF form and will serve as the dissertation of record according to their guidelines. Readers will be able to download the PDF and read the entire text in a linear form not unlike a traditional dissertation or book. Additionally, these parts will also be presented in digital format on website pages, which will feature greater integration with the interactive components of the project. For example, where the PDF document includes a single image, the digital text will include a gallery of images with accompanying details and annotations that allow readers to better understand the scope of the material.

The digital components of the project are supplemental to the main text of the dissertation but allow users to more fully explore and interact with source materials, data, and analytical observations. The project website will use Omeka Classic as the main interface and will include three primary elements: 1) a collection of linked source materials, images, and illustrations; 2) an interactive network graph; and 3) two interactive maps. The collection of materials will allow users to explore the available sources related to specific families and places identified in the project. The interactive network component will provide a graphical representation of community connections present in documentation submitted to the Board of Claims for Losses but will also allow users to view more about each individual included in the network. The interactive map will present the locations of the homes, farms, and towns identified in the project as well as relevant military actions to provide a dynamic representation of spatial and temporal context in which women’s experiences in the Niagara District occurred. It will also allow users to view more information about any item included on the map through links to the collection of source materials.

In designing this hybrid dissertation model, I owe much thanks to Dr. Sharon Leon, who first drafted the digital dissertation guidelines for the history department, and Drs. Celeste Sharpe and Jeri Wieringa, who produced the first two digital history dissertations at GMU. They explored how newly created policies for digital dissertations interacted with existing guidelines for dissertation formats and depositing procedures. Each of their projects used platforms and approaches very different from those found in this project yet their work proved that history dissertations can incorporate cutting-edge technologies while remaining true to the spirit and goals of doctoral history scholarship. They paved the way for the work presented here, which I hope provides yet another model upon which future scholars may reflect and build in their own unique way.