I am interested in the digital fellowship because this past semester I had the chance to work with some video editing software and I loved learning how to use it. I have always wanted to expand my technological/digital skills but have never had the opportunity to do so. I am hoping to gain even more skills and learn how to use these digital tools to enhance my research and to present it to the public in a way that will help them connect to the information. The topic of my research, human trafficking in the US, is something I am very passionate about and I want to be able to compile my findings in a way that will catch my audience’s attention and help them to realize just how important it is, and I believe the best way to do that will be with various digital tools. The personal nature of the fellowship is also what intrigued me. I love the idea of working closely with librarians and other students to understand these various new digital tools.
I want to do my research on human trafficking in the US. I am interested in using mapping tools to show the places in the US that have been found to be main corridors for trafficking, Route 15 being one of the most heavily trafficked routes in the country. I also would like to use data visualization tools because with a topic like this, I believe it is important to present the data in a striking way rather than through bland numbers and statistics. Possibly a heat map that shows where reports of human trafficking are taking place. I want the findings of my research to be accessible to all audiences, not just people who understand numbers or people who have previous knowledge of the topic. In addition to these digital tools, I would like to use video-editing software to create a documentary short about human trafficking.
The software that I used to make my documentary short last semester was Final Cut Pro. I spent many long, torturous hours trying to figure out how to make it do what I wanted, but it was an enriching experience and I honestly loved it. Other than that, I have not worked with any digital tools. I would love to gain those skills, however, because I feel like they are very valuable to have, especially with our society’s large dependence on computers and the internet. I think I would be able to use GIS to make maps or timelines that show the development of human trafficking in the area. I am also interested in finding someone to interview that has experienced human trafficking, in fact I already have some people in mind, and I am interested in presenting that information in some type of captivating way. All in all, I am excited to learn how to use a variety of digital tools because I am sure they will be helpful at some point in my life.