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<title>dlam-feed – mylesthoughts</title>
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<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney</link>
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<title>Who needs awards anyway!</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/who-needs-awards-anyway/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/who-needs-awards-anyway/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:59:32 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=663</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The Short Course Platform project team were nominated for 2 awards at the 2026 IS Staff Recognition Awards. The team of the year award and contribution to the community award and unfortunately we didn’t win! Firstly, congratulations to all the winners. It’s nice to see teams and individuals get recognition for the work they do […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>
<p>The Short Course Platform project team were nominated for 2 awards at the 2026 IS Staff Recognition Awards. The team of the year award and contribution to the community award and unfortunately we didn’t win! Firstly, congratulations to all the winners. It’s nice to see teams and individuals get recognition for the work they do above and beyond to accomplish some amazing tasks. Secondly. we were robbed<br /><br />We had drafted a speech (after all the wild celebrations, kissing the badge, knee slides and general mocking and aggressive finger pointing at the opposition) and whilst we didn’t get the opportunity to read it out I still think it’s worth sharing as a last thank you for those involved in delivering the short course platform. It’s the end of a programme but the beginning of a new service.<br /><br /><br />The Speech:<br /><br />The short course platform was a programme that started just under 4 years ago. It was after the closure of the distance learning at scale programme which may not have been the burning success we wanted however it had taught us valuable lessons which ultimately led us to the successful launch of the short course platform.<br /><br />I think what I want to flag, is that sometimes things don’t work out the way you wanted or expected , but that’s ok, learning and evolving is part of our roles and the sweet doesn’t taste as sweet without the sour.<br /><br />We would like to acknowledge all the support and time provided by stakeholders across the institution who attended numerous, steering groups, boards, demo sessions and various meetings. Their patience and time have ultimately steered and supported us to deliver a successful programme and sets of services used by over 7k learners accessing over 1k courses so far.<br /><br />We would not be accepting this award without the hard work and down right determination of some key folk who have worked collaboratively across LTW and Apps. On behalf of the team we need to thank section heads Stuart and Karen for their invaluable support. Andrews team for delivering a snazzy shopfront, Lauren and Fiona’s team for all their hard work in designing course, websites, an amazing spoint hub and training just to name a few things. Legal for doing legal stuff and Neil for helping us understand it. Viki Galts team for everything accessibility. All the PMs that have organised us over the last few years and Ellen who got us over the line. Cassie for organising groups, boards, papers and making sense of are wittering’s in meetings. Adam Scott and Gordon Forbes for guiding us through the madness of finance. My team for delivering 5 technical services and all the related compliance and process fun that all involve. Lastly, I want to thank Nikki Stuart for the drive and support for the delivery of the platform. <br /><br />The short course programme felt like a family, dysfunctional at times but aren’t all families/projects.</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2026-02-17" itemprop="dateModified">Feb 17, 2026</time>
</span>
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<item>
<title>2025: The year SCP took off</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2025-the-year-scp-took-off/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2025-the-year-scp-took-off/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:15:55 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Short Courses Platform]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=573</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 3</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>That time of year again when I need to pause, breathe and look back at 2025 and remind myself to reflect but this year feels a bit different. First thing, launching the new short course platform, which includes 5 services (not 6 or 7……that one is for all the parents), numerous integrations (one being online […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 3</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>That time of year again when I need to pause, breathe and look back at 2025 and remind myself to reflect but this year feels a bit different.</p>
<p>First thing, launching the new short course platform, which includes 5 services (not 6 or 7……that one is for all the parents), numerous integrations (one being online payment platform so everyone panics about financial transactions), compliance (privacy policies, terms and conditions for a new service), processes (we have the tech but how do we use it, support it, manage it, update it, access it, review it, communicate it, approve it etc) has been challenging.</p>
<p>I love a challenge but 2025 has been a tough one hence my reflection feeling different if not slightly weird. The pressure and expectation to have all the answers to various elements of a new platform (technical and non-technical) at stages throughout this year has been difficult to manage.</p>
<p>Part of this is my own expectation to have the answers or simply know everything. Part of this was my own disappointment and frustration when I didn’t. Part of this is the pressure cooker of delivering a new platform across the institution during a period of financial instability. It’s a lot of parts (some I haven’t included) but in reality, the only part I can fully control is me. Turning off a bit more sounds like an easy solution but it felt impossible. I honestly look back and am thankful for my colleagues who have supported me in 2025. SCP took a chunk of me and getting it out the door nearly broke me.</p>
<p>Friday emails (I don’t work Fridays) and teams conversations kept me in cycle of checking in when I should have been checking out. Don’t get me wrong, my role is to deliver and support services so it’s part of the JD and its with great joy the teams have delivered but the paranoid version of me questions “what did I do”. I know the answer but when things start to go wrong it leads to darker place. Am I mansplaining, are the right people included, what did that person mean, we agreed this but its changed, why?, why am I not invited to that meeting? Constant thoughts swirling through my head when in reality as the project grew you need to let go as it’s impossible to do it all. Placing trust in others but more importantly practising what you preach, sharing the load (like Samwise Gangee wanted to help Frodo by carrying the one ring into the fires of mount doom……), be transparent and listen.</p>
<p>I enjoy the challenge, I love pushing myself but I don’t have all the answers, I get stuff wrong and I am only 1 person. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable has been a big mentality change. It helps when your surrounded by supportive people.<br />
Practically, I also installed an app blocker on my phone which makes accessing Teams and checking emails on a Friday a living nightmare as my phone makes me jump through multiple hurdles to even login to Teams (which is a kinda great!).</p>
<p>Learning and playing more with APIs, agile methodologies, Power BI, headless CMS, resource planning, release planning, power apps, power flow, Canvas, virtual meetings, communications, working groups, BAU are things that have all of a sudden merged into my vocabulary over the past 12 months. Lessons learnt is a term I am looking forward to using less over 2026…..although it’s part of however they are key to the of reflecting and being honest (as much as you can be).</p>
<p>SCP launched in June and so far we have over 450 courses which have ran just under 1000 times, 7k learners and over 11,500 enrolments which have either been via online card transactions or backend fun orders. The platform was a massive task with contributions from various teams in IS and across the institution. Listening and adapting the platform or the requirements has been pivotal to launching a platform that is starting to gain traction amongst schools.</p>
<p>Sadly, it will be the last year in Argyle House or as some may recognise the building as the police station in Dept Q (Netflix). Looking at a castle every day, having easy access to meeting rooms, seemingly always being on or close to a film set (T2, Frankenstein, Avengers) will be things I will miss. Listening to the jazz folk jam under the bridge at castle terrace will definitely not be something I will miss. We move in March and I wil miss the eye sore.</p>
<p>Overall, 2025 will always be the year we launched and I am proud of what we achieved. 2026 already has private courses, programmes, website enhancements and more on the agenda with less access to Teams and a bit more confidence in myself to get things wrong and the odd time right. Anyway, this is for me not you but if you feel the same sometimes, talk to someone. It does help.</p>
<p> <br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2025-12-22" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 22, 2025</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>Short Courses Platform Implementation and Me</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/short-courseplatform-implementation-and-me/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/short-courseplatform-implementation-and-me/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2025 14:07:26 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Short Courses Platform]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=555</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The new short course platform is alive! First thing you might ask is ‘What is a short course?’. Well, these are courses that enable learners around the world to gain a new skills, expand their interests in a topic, or fulfil professional development needs. Secondly, go have a look at the shiny new UoE developed […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The new short course platform is alive!</p>
<p>First thing you might ask is ‘What is a short course?’. Well, these are courses that enable learners around the world to gain a new skills, expand their interests in a topic, or fulfil professional development needs.</p>
<p>Secondly, go have a look at the shiny new <a href="https://shortcourses.ed.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UoE developed short courses website</a> that allows you to browse, view details on a course, register, pay (if costed), sign up to mailing lists, receive automated comms on the course and access course material via a dedicated VLE/LMS or whatever letters you like to call an online learning platform (it can do more but I don’t want to spoil the fun).</p>
<p>3 years of my life have been dedicated to launching this set of services and its been a roller coaster. but for today lets briefly talk about the set of service that make up the short course platform. This blog won’t cover all the amazing work done by colleagues for course design, branding, marketing etc but will discuss the services (platforms) that make up the short course platform.</p>
<p><strong>The background (always important to tell the back story)</strong></p>
<p>Short courses are offered by various schools across the institution and have been managed and taught via numerous platforms and usually involved a lot of disjointed workflows for learners, teacher and administrators. Short courses didn’t have a dedicated service, we had a gap in the digital eco-system and learners were managed in silo via over complicated workflows and taught on platforms that maybe shouldn’t have been used or weren’t the best for delivering or supporting learning.</p>
<p>Quite a conundrum but not a new one to many of us. Start the business analysis, market analysis, funding applications, procurement and contract sign off (I skipped a lot of steps but that’s another blog) and we get to the fun stuff, implementation.</p>
<p><strong><br />
The services (get ready for learning technology bingo)</strong></p>
<p>The obvious ones are a <strong>Virtual learning environment</strong> so we can facilitate online, hybrid, and in person teaching and learning. The university loves collecting VLEs and at one point I think we had completed the sticker album and had a few swaps available (mostly Moodles). An early decision was to consider a standalone VLE that would separate learners and students and for an institution that has spent years consolidating VLEs this was the first big decision.</p>
<p>It was clear looking at the options this would be more beneficial technically and practically. Technically VLEs all share very similar elements and for short courses we would being use a subset of the tools available but we needed a reliable and stable platform that could support us as the service grew.</p>
<p>Practically we wanted learners to create and manage their own accounts which also reduces the admin burden on courses who may have been managing users manually. Splitting the audience allowed us more flexibility to offer a tailored learning experience to learners but (and its a biggie) we were very wary that we would be introducing a new platform which teachers and administrators would need to learn. This comes back to my initial point VLEs under the hood do have similarities and we understood the risk. We implemented Canvas by Instructure.</p>
<p>We also needed a shopfront which would be a multifaceted tool (the swiz army knife of the overall service) that included (deep breathe):</p>
<ul>
<li>an online tool to advertise the courses</li>
<li>a payment integration</li>
<li>course management tool</li>
<li>order management</li>
<li>user management</li>
<li>access to all the data</li>
<li>all had to be accessible and compliant</li>
</ul>
<p>I won’t list anymore but you hopefully get the gist and understand it was an very important part of the jigsaw. Internally we have referred to this platform as the <strong>user, course, order content management system</strong> (it rolls of the tongue). Looking around we didn’t have anything in house that could do the above so we again did the business analysis, market analysis, spoke to some great institutions to understand products available. We implemented a Eduframe by Drieam which is used by a few other UK Universities.</p>
<p>Eduframe did come with a WordPress based website however my development colleagues flagged concerns (they have been burned by WordPress a few times). We then looked at Drupal (which is used for the University website) however again it didn’t meet are long list of requirements. So we plonked for developing a<strong> bespoke website using the next,js framework</strong>. That will be its own blog like all the other services discussed in this post but a big thank you to Andrew Millington for all his support and advise to get the website off the ground.</p>
<p><strong>What about data!</strong> We love data so needed to ensure we could access all the data to allow for pretty visuals to be created and large numbers to be shared on professional media channels. Eduframe has as set of APIs that have allowed us to a Power BI App (they have their own app but we love developing stuff), Canvas has in product analytics and Canvas Data 2 and we use GA4 for web analytics. Its alot of data.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><figure id="attachment_560" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-560" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-560" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-300x226.jpg" alt="whiteboard with my brain" width="300" height="226" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-300x226.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-768x578.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-2048x1542.jpg 2048w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-1275x960.jpg 1275w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-560" class="wp-caption-text">Data Data Data brain dump on a whiteboard</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>So how do staff access the platform without needing a separate login or going through a long and convoluted process to get access to the platform? We created a <strong>teacher admin app</strong> using the Eduframe APIs that syncs with the central user management system. This allows admins to enable access to the short course platform with the assurance that when staff leave accounts are updated. Staff login using their UoE account so don’t need to find that bit of paper with a password (I am joking…).</p>
<p>So, to summarise the below are the key services that make up the short course platform.</p>
<ul>
<li>Virtual learning environment</li>
<li>User, course, order content management system</li>
<li>Bespoke website using the next,js framework</li>
<li>Data reporting tools</li>
<li>Teacher admin app</li>
</ul>
<p>This list does not cover the payment integrations, the numerous integrations we have with tools in canvas and the numerous workflows required to support courses (book, apply, private, waiting lists etc) but hopefully it provides an overview of the services we have implemented that allow us to successfully support and manage the short course platform at scale.</p>
<p>So on reflection 3 years ago I was blissfully paddle boarding on Loch Ness not knowing what was lurking beneath, bit like the implementation of any new service.<br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2025-08-07" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 7, 2025</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>Failure and me</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/failure-and-me/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/failure-and-me/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Mar 2025 08:43:30 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[service]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=544</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The past few weeks have reminded me that failure is a part of everything we do. Whether it’s in our professional lives or personal pursuits, from breaking an application to playing a game incorrectly and not winning, failure happens. The term ‘failure’ sounds harsh, but for me, it is about becoming comfortable with it and […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>
<p>The past few weeks have reminded me that failure is a part of everything we do. Whether it’s in our professional lives or personal pursuits, from breaking an application to playing a game incorrectly and not winning, failure happens. The term ‘failure’ sounds harsh, but for me, it is about becoming comfortable with it and ensuring we mitigate its effects.</p>
<p>As we approach the launch of a new platform at the university, it is difficult not to reflect on missed opportunities or things we could have done differently. I need to remind myself that when we started, we didn’t have the wealth of knowledge that we have now, gained over the last 18 months. It’s challenging for me not to get caught up in a “failure spiral,” which can have negative consequences both professionally and personally.</p>
<p>I listen to a few sports podcasts, and a quote by Samuel Beckett came up:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better – Samuel Beckett</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I love this quote! Failure, when rolling out not just one, but five new applications, along with brand new processes, creating a new service, introducing new technology, new workflows, training, understanding the present, planning for the future, onboarding, involvement in boards and steering groups, and dealing with compliance—how can we not fail? Therefore, we need to get comfortable with failure, but try to “fail better” by:</p>
<ol>
<li>Accepting that it has happened, and for me, it’s part of the job. Get comfortable.</li>
<li>Reviewing what happened by getting the facts.</li>
<li>Understanding why it happened, which sometimes involves digging deeper than the facts.</li>
<li>Developing new strategies so we do not fail in the same way again or so we can fail better.</li>
<li>Implementing a process or workflow to help us, which is documented.</li>
<li>Communicating consistently in all the above steps. It’s not easy, but it’s key.</li>
</ol>
<p>Obviously, we want to deliver a service that is perfect, but in my 20 years of working in the tech center, I have yet to find an application that hasn’t changed, that hasn’t been rebranded, or that hasn’t required UI changes, that still is exactly the same as it was when it launched. Look at Apple; they love to tell us it’s perfect, but what they define as “flawed perfection” means it’s constantly changing.</p>
<p>Accepting failure doesn’t mean we sit back with popcorn and watch the “wheels fall off.” Failing better, for me, involves a lot of work to ensure we minimize failure (if possible) and are prepared when it happens (again, sometimes we aren’t, as it could be a new workflow, patch, cyber attack, user requirement, or edge case scenario).</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2025-03-13" itemprop="dateModified">Mar 13, 2025</time>
</span>
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<title>2024: the year of short courses & the edge!</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2024-the-year-of-short-courses-the-edge/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2024-the-year-of-short-courses-the-edge/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:18:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=529</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>This is my reflection on my 2024. It’s for me but you can come along for a few minutes. First reflection, why have I not blogged more this year! Simple answer its been hectic but I feel like I could have reflected on a more regular basis the 12 month journey. Second reflection, what a […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>This is my reflection on my 2024. It’s for me but you can come along for a few minutes.</p>
<p>First reflection, why have I not blogged more this year! Simple answer its been hectic but I feel like I could have reflected on a more regular basis the 12 month journey.</p>
<p>Second reflection, what a year!</p>
<p>By the end of 2023 we signed the contract with Drieam (who support the learner, course and order management platform called <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Feduframe.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cc57c79c049f74fc4222608dd3536802c%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C638725230381480477%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qiL39YC%2B0JyNdVLoKhQQo%2FHuTFRPszgLbUrHKTbRDpQ%3D&reserved=0">eduframe.com</a>) and Instructure (who host the learning platform called Canvas <a href="https://www.instructure.com">https://www.instructure.com</a>) to help us deliver the new Short Course Platform. It had taken 6 months of procurement and legal wrangling to get the contract sorted but in December 2023 it was finally signed. The short course platform will allow the public to browse courses via a web site, create an account, pay (if costed), enrol, learn, maybe get a digital badge and hopefully come back and repeat the process.</p>
<p>The platform aims to emulate a lot of the learnings from the core VLE projects including a consistent user experience, replacing laborious and admin heavy workarounds and having a clear purpose/strategy/vision. It has been a gap in the learning eco-system for a while and we have seen schools/depts bend tools and policies to meet their needs.</p>
<p>Interestingly with the current issues in HE we are starting to see a few other institutions spin up similar platforms. When we started this journey 2 years ago only a few examples existed but with institutions keen to explore additional revenue tracks we have seen similar platforms come online but that’s a different blog.</p>
<p>Like any new service we are starting fresh, which is great! But as soon as we started to update stakeholders and share the news more widely that we had signed a contract then comes the big questions…..when will it be available? Can we use it? How do I use it? Is it compliant? Will the learners like it? What is a learner? Can I show it to my friends? What is a short course?</p>
<p>It can feel like a landslide but I am lucky to work with people who are very supportive, open to ideas and like me love a plan(ner).The service isn’t just one new service, its 4 new platforms, training, guidance, marketing, communication, stakeholder engagement (one off and ongoing), terms of use, legal, compliant handling, data protection, accessibility, reporting (another new service so make that 5), terminology and the list goes on and on.</p>
<p>Spinning up a new service involves working with colleagues inside the department and making sure we are all confident or if not approachable to ask questions. Sounds easy but it’s probably the toughest part, the people who are the face of change need to speak the same language or stakeholders will lose confidence pretty quickly and that can cause tension in teams (who said what, why, when, did they not read the 1000 page memo).</p>
<p>Change agents also need to change. The ability to listen and change what we have thought about, developed or delivered is also key but with the caveat it must be based on facts. I listen to sports podcasts and was really intrigued by a football manager saying the team needed to focus on the team’s core goals (playing good football) and not be driven by the edge (bad passes and mistakes). That edge in service delivery can sometimes be a blocker to progress especially when creating a new service. Evaluating the use case and categorising it is key to understanding impact and priority especially when deadline is involved.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong use cases generated by stakeholders need to be listened to and evaluated but it’s the teams requirement to review and categories. Sometimes its not popular with stakeholders however I am a firm believer that services are never perfect. They evolve as does the requirements, the users (all of them) and the underlying technology. Services deliver to the masses and aim to meet all requirements however I have struggled to work on a service that doesn’t have a wish list or a product development roadmap.</p>
<p>The quicker you get comfortable with the edge the better.</p>
<p>My role in the project is technical lead but I feel more like a troubleshooter and negotiator. I have had to get to grips with 4 new bit of tech (content management system, payment portal, new VLE, a website developed on Next.js, a user provisioning tools) and help design a 5<sup>th</sup> (data reporting tool), negotiate with others use of the tools, design, onboarding for early adopter, project timelines and I am mentally knackered. Thankfully (again) a good team and me being very open about forgetting stuff and asking for reminders or checking my notes (which have merged into teams chats) has helped keep me on track. A technical lead sounds like someone who knows it all and I don’t but that’s ok. My role is offering workflows and options to a problem whilst speaking to the experts to help me map it out. Last Monday I had no clue on GA4 and now we have a plan to debug tags. Last Jan I started to play with APIs of the new platforms and now not a day goes by when I don’t have postman open and I am trying to figure out something.</p>
<p>2024 has been a blast but it’s been difficult. The projects have been challenging and that’s not just the tech. My confidence has taken a bit of a bashing along the way but its not personal. I will look back when we finally go live in May 2025 and think 2024 is the year we made a lot of decisions, I learned a little bit more about me and I am sharing some with you as it may help and remembe0 for any service its not the destination as there is never a destination, its just one big journey.<br />
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<time datetime="2024-12-23" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 23, 2024</time><br />
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<title>Canvas UK & Ireland User Group December 2024</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-uk-ireland-user-group-december-2024/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-uk-ireland-user-group-december-2024/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Dec 2024 17:01:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ai]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[canvas]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sd]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=521</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>A user group is a great way to get the latest product gossip from the supplier and more importantly other institutions. They are great ways to network, get inspiration from peers and generally gauge where we are in the current implementation compared to others (plus free pastries).The Canvas UK & Ireland user group was hosted […]]]></description>
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<p>A user group is a great way to get the latest product gossip from the supplier and more importantly other institutions. They are great ways to network, get inspiration from peers and generally gauge where we are in the current implementation compared to others (plus free pastries).<br />The Canvas UK & Ireland user group was hosted by Manchester University. The day covered the Canvas roadmap, rubric adoption at medical schools, institutions migrating to canvas from another suppliers, break out sessions on analytics and administration of a VLE and more however there seemed to be one theme that was ever present in sessions, AI.</p>
<p>The first presenter represented FE and discussed how they had developed AI tools based on the Azure Framework (Microsoft) to create assessment feedback for students, assessment feedback summaries for staff and AI assistants to support students. The session highlighted how coding light tools can be developed using existing frameworks, APIs and a lot of engagement with users. The session generated a lot of questions including environmental impact, opt-in/out, academic integrity, quality and assurance of feedback etc. These questions aren’t new but I feel like we have moved from a space where we questioned AI and how it would be included in education to a new space where institutions themselves are developing tools.</p>
<p>With Open AI and the rapid evolution of LLMs suppliers are rushing to squeeze AI into their applications but at what risk? And why? I feel like we are partly to blame as we like new stuff but also want to improve the staff and student experience. It feels like AI might be the new thing that will solve all our problems (did someone saying Learning Analytics…). Like any new tech and especially with LLMs we also need to factor that these cohorts may have a certain level of expectation that AI is integrated into their professional, academic or learning journey. My fear is where should it be integrated and why?</p>
<p><br />New stuff is always fun for me but as someone who works with technology, I also need to consider the why? What is this bringing to the user’s experience? Do we have a gap? Does it improve the users experience? Any repercussions we need to consider? Speaking to design colleagues and stakeholders should drive the change and with AI I don’t know how much of a conversation is happening with users. Don’t get me wrong we need to start somewhere, and basic support bots being used to support users (like <a href="https://information-services.ed.ac.uk/computing/comms-and-collab/elm">ELM</a> or <a href="https://edhelp.ed.ac.uk/">EDHelp</a>) help us grow knowledge and at the same time they practically allow end-users to interact and maybe think about additional functionality they would like to see included in these tools or where they can envision these tools supporting them.</p>
<p>Instructure will be releasing more AI functionality and already have tools like Insights which utilises aspects of AI so:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>‘buckle your seat Dorothy, cause Kanvas is going bye-bye!’ – Cypher, The Matrix.<br /><br /></p>
</blockquote>
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<time datetime="2024-12-09" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 9, 2024</time>
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<title>2023 Reflection</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2023-reflection/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2023-reflection/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Dec 2023 09:46:14 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital badges]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=497</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 3</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>It has been a while since I sat down with my thoughts. I have been talking about making time to blog and reflect and today is the day! If you’re new here, hello! This will not be an ideological masterpiece or reference books I read related to the role but more a personal reflection for […]]]></description>
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<p>It has been a while since I sat down with my thoughts. I have been talking about making time to blog and reflect and today is the day! If you’re new here, hello! This will not be an ideological masterpiece or reference books I read related to the role but more a personal reflection for me on me, but you can read it (just don’t tell anyone!).</p>
<p>My 2023 will be the year of procurement, digital badges, and supporting the team (bored reading about AI so omitting it until Jan 2024).<br /><br />I have previously blogged about digital badges and how they have emerged from the pit of edu-tech doom and evolved into something that has value for issuers, earners and anyone else who is interested in the recognition of skills, achievements or competencies. I have also talked about replacing standalone credit that equates to nothing in the real world and longer term how institutions will need to offer digital versions of credit as the death of paper accelerates. I get it that people will still want to frame awards etc I just think that may be a minority.<br /><br />The team has done a fantastic job completing a procurement and establishing a service to support a 3-year pilot which we hope will extend with the pending new fun aka the short course platform. In just over 6 months we have issued over 1.5k badges, created and supported a badge governance process, created numerous guides and snazzy webpages, and planned to experiment with badge pathways in 2024. If you are interested have a peek at the webpage: <a href="https://edin.ac/3Waglnj">https://edin.ac/3Waglnj</a> and yes that is a badger wearing a jacket with badges (they are called Bo the badger).</p>
<p><br />I can only see badge popularity and use cases growing however I have concerns regarding the quality of products in the market, cost (platform prices vary vastly) and openness of underlying badge frameworks and portability. With Instructure hoovering up Badgr and now Parchment a big player is making an early move and the wider impact will be interesting to watch.</p>
<p>Procurements are always interesting and when the outcome is a brand new service it’s even more ‘exciting’. At this point I am going to read your mind, are you thinking something along the lines of…</p>
<p>‘Wow Wow, Myles is that a typo!, has the eggnog gone to your head!’ </p>
<p>The answer is no, in a weird and slightly concerning way it’s been fascinating to work with the project team to collaborate, collate, refine and produce a vision with key stakeholders for a new centrally supported platform that will allow the public to view CPD, PPD and any other short courses. pay (if required) and access a dedicated learning platform or be sent any relevant course information. </p>
<p>Ok, in reality, the devil is in the details and creating clear and concise questions that suppliers need to answer is a challenge. Interpreting those answers and scoring them is a bigger challenge especially then the question set is over 100 questions! Then agreeing to scores and feedback is a bigger challenge! It’s like Mortal Combat but without the combat as that would involve HR (however sometimes I think it would have been quicker to just have the combat).</p>
<p>So why did we need to go into the combat ring of procurement? Currently, these types of courses are delivered via numerous platforms, can be an admin burden to support staff, provide an inconsistent and sometimes poor learner experience and may be breaching software licenses (moving on swiftly). To summarise it’s very Edinburgh. everyone is doing something different. So, we proposed a change as we saw a clear gap and after lots of conversations, papers, presentations, and acronym searching we secured support from senior management and a budget from the institution. Instructure and Drieam won the procurement, and I look forward to working with them in 2024.</p>
<p>I manage a small team and also deputize for the section head. I enjoy both and am fortunate to be surrounded by people I respect and enjoy working with each day but this year has taught me to be a human first and a manager second. Work-life balance has always been important to me, especially with a family and growing up in a family where that balance did not exist and witnessing the impact on people’s mental and physical health has always been a valuable lesson to me.</p>
<p>I work hard as Myles Blaney team manager, technical lead, senior service manager, internal consultant, HR rep for the team, information security rep for the section, procurement mediator, badge specialist, and everything else in between. So, I need time to be Myles Blaney gym enthusiast, bike rider, Newcastle United fan, MMA fan, gamer, husband, dad, son, brother, dad taxi, family event planner, and spectator to name a few. I am lucky to have control of my balance due to my supportive manager but I also need to take control of it when I have it and not to quickly check or reply to a ping in teams.</p>
<p>Lastly, AI! It’s here to stay and we are only at the base of the hype curve. I have dabbled this year with Karen into what other institutions are doing and it’s another blog I will post in Jan 2024. Exciting and terrifying at the same time but not new just quicker, faster and better.</p>
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<time datetime="2023-12-21" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 21, 2023</time>
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<title>Canvas Credentials: the new open digital badge platform</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-credentials-the-new-open-digital-badge-platform/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-credentials-the-new-open-digital-badge-platform/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 30 Mar 2023 08:32:31 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital badges]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[instructure]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=482</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>Finally after months of scoring procurement questions, analysing costs and negotiation I am pleased to announce that we will be providing open digital badges via Canvas Credentials (formally called Badgr).This is the start of a 3 year pilot to understand the value of digital badges for all stakeholders. Obviously for the earners aka the people […]]]></description>
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<p>Finally after months of scoring procurement questions, analysing costs and negotiation I am pleased to announce that we will be providing open digital badges via Canvas Credentials (formally called Badgr).<br /><br />This is the start of a 3 year pilot to understand the value of digital badges for all stakeholders. Obviously for the earners aka the people awarded a badge(s), will it help motivate them? will they share it on digital CVs or social media? will they even click on the email and accept the badge? what about employability? how do they value a digital badge?<br /><br />How about issuers aka the schools that award the badge, is the platform easy to use? does it allow them the flexibility to develop and deliver standalone and badges which are interlinked (like a pathway)? what about resource for managing all things badges? and why bother with badges?<br /><br />Hang on, what about IS (we are people too), how does it affect us as issuer, earners and support? So all of the above plus is the platform robust? does it provide what the issuers and earners need? how will the service grow? will be see a badge bonanza or the butchering of badges?<br /><br />Whatever will happen the next few years will allow us to pilot and review the premium version of canvas credentials. For clarification when I say premium I mean paid for aka we get extra bits and bobs like:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lots of Analytics: data, data, data</li>
<li>Organisation Management: aka one admin to rule them all! </li>
<li>Ability to add skills to a badge: I got skills their multiplying!</li>
<li>Ability to add custom fields to a badge: starting to panic about how this could be used!</li>
<li>Pathways: interlinked badges journeys</li>
</ul>
<p>Sounds pretty cool! Pathways are probably the ‘funnest’ (not a word but you know what I mean) premium tool which will allow schools or departments to create open stackable badges or paths (basic, intermediate, high ) to a higher level of achievement (Expert). These can include internal or external open badges so in theory could involve external bodies (e.g. companies, other institutions) and users can track their own progress! (take a breathe!).</p>
<p>And what have we decided to call the new open digital badge pilot/service……(drum roll)……BadgEd! (we got the word badge, we are the University of Edinburgh and we love incorporating Ed into stuff). </p>
<p>Sounds like a busy few years? You interested in finding out some more information? Ain’t you lucky we created this website where you can find out some more information on the <a href="https://edin.ac/40QRuX3">BadgEd webpages.</a></p>
<p><br />Finally this wouldn’t be possible without all the hard work of colleagues who have been exceptional (as usual) to help get from an idea to a live pilot (so thanks goes to Delia, Tracey, Nikki, Karen, Fiona and Ellen). Let the hard (fun) work begin….<br /><br /></p>
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<time datetime="2023-03-30" itemprop="dateModified">Mar 30, 2023</time>
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<title>Digital Badges, not just a pretty picture</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/digital-badges-not-just-a-pretty-picture/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/digital-badges-not-just-a-pretty-picture/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2022 15:48:03 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital badges]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=455</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>Digital badges are back! They never went away I hear you say and yes? Of course not but we did enter an odd phase were badges were being issued for anything or everything (I like to refer to this era as the ‘Oprah Winfrey’ era). So we all got badges and the value of a […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>Digital badges are back! They never went away I hear you say and yes? Of course not but we did enter an odd phase were badges were being issued for anything or everything (I like to refer to this era as the ‘Oprah Winfrey’ era).</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium aligncenter" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7ZeQBhbVGnELP4bK/giphy.gif" alt="you get a gif" width="480" height="326" /></p>
<p>So we all got badges and the value of a badge declined plus how could we validate the badge, where do we put the badges to promote ourselves? So the badge hype slowly dwindled to some hardcore fans who issued badges sporadically. Badge strategies were forgotten and images of badges were added to email signatures with no ability to validate someones claim to be an Google Cloud wizard. I should also state that the frustration with badges also may be related to lack of platforms to develop and issue plus the limited options for styling, metadata and a space for an earner to host (yes Mozilla backpack was available however if you used it then you would understand it had issues).</p>
<p>I personally worked with badges via Blackboard learn a few years ago and we had some great use cases but the value of badges was not recognized by external institutions or private companies.</p>
<p>Fast forward a few years and the digital badge ecosystem has evolved. IMS open badge standards have been widely adopted by numerous suppliers, the options for badge creation & management is also diverse with open, free and paid for services available and most importantly the understanding that to maintain value for digital badges institution needs to have a strategy for badge creation.</p>
<p>The value aspect is key, speaking to other institutions in the UK and US they have stressed how value can only be maintained by guidance and governance. Guidance ensures standardization of the visual, the metadata and criteria for awarding. The visual is key and in most cases badge consumers (someone who sees a badge on a host platform aka linkedin, personal web page, email signature) will only see a small thumbnail of the image so keeping it clean and not going full Picasso is key. To get around the visual issue the creation of a style guide and a badge template helps subdue any hidden artistic desires.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium aligncenter" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l4tV5VQbNScIikY4o/giphy.gif" alt="picasso art" width="480" height="480" /></p>
<p>Metadata is key, its the data/information that provides the context for the badge and includes fields like description, competencies, achievements, award criteria, expiration and the ability for consumers to check validation! Yes, if you have shared a badge I can check if your a world of war craft level 6 orc from the dune sea by clicking on the validate button.</p>
<p>Governance allows users to request a badge and for it to be reviewed by badge champions to ensure we do not create 100 badges for the same thing, ensure badge value is maintained (aka we don’t hurtle back to the Oprah era, PS you get a badge for reading this far!) and badge visuals are maintained (we want the University of Edinburgh badge experience to follow established design guidelines and best practices) . I would stress that governance is a mix of academic and service staff all with a vested interest in the success of digital badges.</p>
<p>So we have a process and some standards so what do we issue badges for? As highlighted earlier they have been issued for everything and we are keen to avoid those dark days. Badges have a place for recognition of extra curricula or non-curricula skills, competencies or achievements that may not be recognized via other awards or even at all. Badges can be used to level up the softer skills that are core to user development or simply recognize the skills, competencies or achievements a user has gained. Badges spans the digital ecosystem and user base and could be issued on a MOOC platform to a user completing the book MOOC or to a member of staff for competing the Information security training.</p>
<p>So I gained a badge what next? How about recommendations for associated badges which can build upon your skills, achievements or competencies gained via a previous badge. Or the ability to share on a host platform (go on be that LinkedIn boaster who announces everything they are doing to the world) or it can be kept private. Even better imagine having a space that is yours for life and doesn’t need you to be registered at the university, your account, your personal email address your in control. Or don’t claim the badge its all up to the earner (They have the power!)</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/yhK4PWI9WJ0c/giphy.gif" alt="i have the power" width="320" height="240" /></p>
<p>The good news is that this service will be launching in the academic year 2022-23 and the team will share more thoughts once we pick a platform. The last thing I wanted to share is that whilst we are focusing on non-credit extra/non-curricula skills, achievements and competencies we are starting to hear institution considering issuing badges for UG and PG degree awards which kinda makes sense. Question if you have a degree what do you have to show your awesome achievement? and more importantly where is it? Personally I got a paper certificate and it sits in a cupboard with all my life admin things. Its not visible, its not verifiable and its on a bit of paper which isn’t great for the environment. A digital badge is verifiable and can be shared on numerous professional and/or personal platforms plus no trees were cut down to produce it. Sure the award ceremony might be slightly different however I have a feeling that the digital badge will be more useful to graduates.</p>
<p> <br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2022-08-09" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 9, 2022</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>My Hybrid Reflections (not yours!)</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/my-hybrid-reflections-not-yours/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/my-hybrid-reflections-not-yours/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2021 09:52:18 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[hybrid]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=421</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>19 months ago the thought of me staying at home for 23hrs for months would have terrified me, however we got out routine sorted which helped a lot, this included Joe Wicks 0900, BoJo presser at 1700 (do this but don’t do this), becoming at P2 teacher 1330-1600 (elbow pads in the post), family walk […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>
<p>19 months ago the thought of me staying at home for 23hrs for months would have terrified me, however we got out routine sorted which helped a lot, this included Joe Wicks 0900, BoJo presser at 1700 (do this but don’t do this), becoming at P2 teacher 1330-1600 (elbow pads in the post), family walk on the golf course 1600-1700. Throughout that period my working arrangements shifted from room to room as my setup evolved into a desk in my spare bedroom with a large screen and laptop. I have also blogged about the transitions if your interested in the detail but now I am now a hybrid worker.</p>
<p>Hybrid, what’s that? Well it’s kinda like a bit of office working and a bit of home working and for my working situation it makes a lot of common sense. Why does it work for me? The flexibility is something I have craved for years. I worked at home 1 day a week for 13 years, it allowed me to focus on documentation (if you have had the pleasure of working with me you know I love a good process document and making things transparent for anyone involved, who wouldn’t, share the fun), building servers remotely and other individual tasks with maybe the odd phone call to ask people to press a button on campus. Over the 13 years technology has evolved from email, messenger, skype for business (once you got it working) and now teams or Zoom. </p>
<p>Technology evolves and whilst we adapt it seamlessly into our non-working lives, with some of us actively promoting it for work, are 9-5 environment has stagnated due to numerous factors that include open spaces and noise, users unfamiliarity with the technology (e.g. can you hear me, I have poor Wi-Fi. Cat face – to name a few common issues), the technology being regarded as secondary, peoples personal or meeting room hardware setups (some people have vanity lights some people have 3 laptops perched on encyclopaedias). With the tech evolving we can now do remote tasks which now include group work (ability to host or join online meetings), group text chat, drop-ins to chat, share a screen and work through shared documents or issues. </p>
<p>So the technology has evolved (braw!) however the office space hasn’t however what is the office meant to be? I have blogged that people are the campus and they! This has been clearly shown over the numerous lockdowns but as a red brick university the campus is the shop floor for the bulk of roles. IS touch numerous points of campus life (on and remote) and we have shown we can work in extreme circumstances however personally for me I prefer a hybrid work space, which is ultimately a flexible work space.</p>
<p>Home working is great, no trains, no flesh market close steps, no expensive sandwich or coffee shops, work in leisure clothes (bought my first pair of tracksuit bottoms 6 months ago….), no running to meetings basically a lot of good points,. I love my house however I like coming back to it (bit like when you walk in the door post-holiday after sharing a confined space with the hobbits) and I am a strong believer in work life balance. Now for me what work life balance means is ‘give and take’ aka flexibility, managing time/resource, honestly. It may sound preachy but having a young family has taught me to enjoy the time and separate work (like the LTW no comms after 6 policy). I know people who find this impossible and to be honest it freaks me out but it’s their decision. </p>
<p>Working in the office 2 days gives me a bit of separation and allows me to plan 2 different days however I don’t plan them any different and for the foreseeable wont. I come in and work, catch up with folks, meet online or in-person and go home. Currently 2 days is enough and not due to COVID concerns but due to the change in routine (which I am over) and the office feeling different. The space feels subdued and when I come in it’s like a Saturday. It’s quiet for a time however co-ordinating days when others (usually Karen or Nikki) are in helps prioritise tasks for those days, allows us to bounce ideas around (scheduling collaboration and spontaneity on Teams is difficult) and lets me see other people J which I miss. Some of the people I get to work with or share an office with are worth the train fare alone to cheer me up. The human side of work and the office has been something I have blogged about before and it’s one of the reasons why I enjoy my job.</p>
<p>So let’s be honest about the office, desk layout isn’t the best for online meetings and mics pick up other conversations pretty quickly. Meeting rooms are quiet but rely heavily on tech working and the building not being full (booking a room prior to COVID was like a playing a game in Squid Games – somebody would die!). If we are to adopt hybrid shared desk arrangements, thinning of the space would help. The creation of more social sitting and printer booth breakout spaces would help the space however my big thing is the noise. We probably need to admit that for a truly hybrid space the open spaces will need to be a bit more nosier due to online meetings held at desk, more collaboration spaces in teams local environments (again noisy) and the acceptance that the office should be a collaboration space and not just a undefined space with a desk with your stuff on it. Making it a collaboration friendly space helps hybrid workers however like we have all gone through over the past months it would require a change and physical office space changes are probably the most difficult to accept.</p>
<p>So hybrid for me works, the tech now allows us the flexibility, management now understand having being entrenched in it during lockdowns but (always a but) the office isn’t configured to support it…yet. My experience of coming into the office isn’t negative however it could be better which I will be feeding back.</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2021-11-16" itemprop="dateModified">Nov 16, 2021</time>
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<title>Who needs awards anyway!</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/who-needs-awards-anyway/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/who-needs-awards-anyway/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:59:32 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=663</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The Short Course Platform project team were nominated for 2 awards at the 2026 IS Staff Recognition Awards. The team of the year award and contribution to the community award and unfortunately we didn’t win! Firstly, congratulations to all the winners. It’s nice to see teams and individuals get recognition for the work they do […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>
<p>The Short Course Platform project team were nominated for 2 awards at the 2026 IS Staff Recognition Awards. The team of the year award and contribution to the community award and unfortunately we didn’t win! Firstly, congratulations to all the winners. It’s nice to see teams and individuals get recognition for the work they do above and beyond to accomplish some amazing tasks. Secondly. we were robbed<br /><br />We had drafted a speech (after all the wild celebrations, kissing the badge, knee slides and general mocking and aggressive finger pointing at the opposition) and whilst we didn’t get the opportunity to read it out I still think it’s worth sharing as a last thank you for those involved in delivering the short course platform. It’s the end of a programme but the beginning of a new service.<br /><br /><br />The Speech:<br /><br />The short course platform was a programme that started just under 4 years ago. It was after the closure of the distance learning at scale programme which may not have been the burning success we wanted however it had taught us valuable lessons which ultimately led us to the successful launch of the short course platform.<br /><br />I think what I want to flag, is that sometimes things don’t work out the way you wanted or expected , but that’s ok, learning and evolving is part of our roles and the sweet doesn’t taste as sweet without the sour.<br /><br />We would like to acknowledge all the support and time provided by stakeholders across the institution who attended numerous, steering groups, boards, demo sessions and various meetings. Their patience and time have ultimately steered and supported us to deliver a successful programme and sets of services used by over 7k learners accessing over 1k courses so far.<br /><br />We would not be accepting this award without the hard work and down right determination of some key folk who have worked collaboratively across LTW and Apps. On behalf of the team we need to thank section heads Stuart and Karen for their invaluable support. Andrews team for delivering a snazzy shopfront, Lauren and Fiona’s team for all their hard work in designing course, websites, an amazing spoint hub and training just to name a few things. Legal for doing legal stuff and Neil for helping us understand it. Viki Galts team for everything accessibility. All the PMs that have organised us over the last few years and Ellen who got us over the line. Cassie for organising groups, boards, papers and making sense of are wittering’s in meetings. Adam Scott and Gordon Forbes for guiding us through the madness of finance. My team for delivering 5 technical services and all the related compliance and process fun that all involve. Lastly, I want to thank Nikki Stuart for the drive and support for the delivery of the platform. <br /><br />The short course programme felt like a family, dysfunctional at times but aren’t all families/projects.</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2026-02-17" itemprop="dateModified">Feb 17, 2026</time>
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<title>2025: The year SCP took off</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2025-the-year-scp-took-off/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2025-the-year-scp-took-off/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:15:55 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Short Courses Platform]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=573</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 3</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>That time of year again when I need to pause, breathe and look back at 2025 and remind myself to reflect but this year feels a bit different. First thing, launching the new short course platform, which includes 5 services (not 6 or 7……that one is for all the parents), numerous integrations (one being online […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 3</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>That time of year again when I need to pause, breathe and look back at 2025 and remind myself to reflect but this year feels a bit different.</p>
<p>First thing, launching the new short course platform, which includes 5 services (not 6 or 7……that one is for all the parents), numerous integrations (one being online payment platform so everyone panics about financial transactions), compliance (privacy policies, terms and conditions for a new service), processes (we have the tech but how do we use it, support it, manage it, update it, access it, review it, communicate it, approve it etc) has been challenging.</p>
<p>I love a challenge but 2025 has been a tough one hence my reflection feeling different if not slightly weird. The pressure and expectation to have all the answers to various elements of a new platform (technical and non-technical) at stages throughout this year has been difficult to manage.</p>
<p>Part of this is my own expectation to have the answers or simply know everything. Part of this was my own disappointment and frustration when I didn’t. Part of this is the pressure cooker of delivering a new platform across the institution during a period of financial instability. It’s a lot of parts (some I haven’t included) but in reality, the only part I can fully control is me. Turning off a bit more sounds like an easy solution but it felt impossible. I honestly look back and am thankful for my colleagues who have supported me in 2025. SCP took a chunk of me and getting it out the door nearly broke me.</p>
<p>Friday emails (I don’t work Fridays) and teams conversations kept me in cycle of checking in when I should have been checking out. Don’t get me wrong, my role is to deliver and support services so it’s part of the JD and its with great joy the teams have delivered but the paranoid version of me questions “what did I do”. I know the answer but when things start to go wrong it leads to darker place. Am I mansplaining, are the right people included, what did that person mean, we agreed this but its changed, why?, why am I not invited to that meeting? Constant thoughts swirling through my head when in reality as the project grew you need to let go as it’s impossible to do it all. Placing trust in others but more importantly practising what you preach, sharing the load (like Samwise Gangee wanted to help Frodo by carrying the one ring into the fires of mount doom……), be transparent and listen.</p>
<p>I enjoy the challenge, I love pushing myself but I don’t have all the answers, I get stuff wrong and I am only 1 person. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable has been a big mentality change. It helps when your surrounded by supportive people.<br />
Practically, I also installed an app blocker on my phone which makes accessing Teams and checking emails on a Friday a living nightmare as my phone makes me jump through multiple hurdles to even login to Teams (which is a kinda great!).</p>
<p>Learning and playing more with APIs, agile methodologies, Power BI, headless CMS, resource planning, release planning, power apps, power flow, Canvas, virtual meetings, communications, working groups, BAU are things that have all of a sudden merged into my vocabulary over the past 12 months. Lessons learnt is a term I am looking forward to using less over 2026…..although it’s part of however they are key to the of reflecting and being honest (as much as you can be).</p>
<p>SCP launched in June and so far we have over 450 courses which have ran just under 1000 times, 7k learners and over 11,500 enrolments which have either been via online card transactions or backend fun orders. The platform was a massive task with contributions from various teams in IS and across the institution. Listening and adapting the platform or the requirements has been pivotal to launching a platform that is starting to gain traction amongst schools.</p>
<p>Sadly, it will be the last year in Argyle House or as some may recognise the building as the police station in Dept Q (Netflix). Looking at a castle every day, having easy access to meeting rooms, seemingly always being on or close to a film set (T2, Frankenstein, Avengers) will be things I will miss. Listening to the jazz folk jam under the bridge at castle terrace will definitely not be something I will miss. We move in March and I wil miss the eye sore.</p>
<p>Overall, 2025 will always be the year we launched and I am proud of what we achieved. 2026 already has private courses, programmes, website enhancements and more on the agenda with less access to Teams and a bit more confidence in myself to get things wrong and the odd time right. Anyway, this is for me not you but if you feel the same sometimes, talk to someone. It does help.</p>
<p> <br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2025-12-22" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 22, 2025</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>Short Courses Platform Implementation and Me</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/short-courseplatform-implementation-and-me/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/short-courseplatform-implementation-and-me/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2025 14:07:26 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Short Courses Platform]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=555</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The new short course platform is alive! First thing you might ask is ‘What is a short course?’. Well, these are courses that enable learners around the world to gain a new skills, expand their interests in a topic, or fulfil professional development needs. Secondly, go have a look at the shiny new UoE developed […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The new short course platform is alive!</p>
<p>First thing you might ask is ‘What is a short course?’. Well, these are courses that enable learners around the world to gain a new skills, expand their interests in a topic, or fulfil professional development needs.</p>
<p>Secondly, go have a look at the shiny new <a href="https://shortcourses.ed.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UoE developed short courses website</a> that allows you to browse, view details on a course, register, pay (if costed), sign up to mailing lists, receive automated comms on the course and access course material via a dedicated VLE/LMS or whatever letters you like to call an online learning platform (it can do more but I don’t want to spoil the fun).</p>
<p>3 years of my life have been dedicated to launching this set of services and its been a roller coaster. but for today lets briefly talk about the set of service that make up the short course platform. This blog won’t cover all the amazing work done by colleagues for course design, branding, marketing etc but will discuss the services (platforms) that make up the short course platform.</p>
<p><strong>The background (always important to tell the back story)</strong></p>
<p>Short courses are offered by various schools across the institution and have been managed and taught via numerous platforms and usually involved a lot of disjointed workflows for learners, teacher and administrators. Short courses didn’t have a dedicated service, we had a gap in the digital eco-system and learners were managed in silo via over complicated workflows and taught on platforms that maybe shouldn’t have been used or weren’t the best for delivering or supporting learning.</p>
<p>Quite a conundrum but not a new one to many of us. Start the business analysis, market analysis, funding applications, procurement and contract sign off (I skipped a lot of steps but that’s another blog) and we get to the fun stuff, implementation.</p>
<p><strong><br />
The services (get ready for learning technology bingo)</strong></p>
<p>The obvious ones are a <strong>Virtual learning environment</strong> so we can facilitate online, hybrid, and in person teaching and learning. The university loves collecting VLEs and at one point I think we had completed the sticker album and had a few swaps available (mostly Moodles). An early decision was to consider a standalone VLE that would separate learners and students and for an institution that has spent years consolidating VLEs this was the first big decision.</p>
<p>It was clear looking at the options this would be more beneficial technically and practically. Technically VLEs all share very similar elements and for short courses we would being use a subset of the tools available but we needed a reliable and stable platform that could support us as the service grew.</p>
<p>Practically we wanted learners to create and manage their own accounts which also reduces the admin burden on courses who may have been managing users manually. Splitting the audience allowed us more flexibility to offer a tailored learning experience to learners but (and its a biggie) we were very wary that we would be introducing a new platform which teachers and administrators would need to learn. This comes back to my initial point VLEs under the hood do have similarities and we understood the risk. We implemented Canvas by Instructure.</p>
<p>We also needed a shopfront which would be a multifaceted tool (the swiz army knife of the overall service) that included (deep breathe):</p>
<ul>
<li>an online tool to advertise the courses</li>
<li>a payment integration</li>
<li>course management tool</li>
<li>order management</li>
<li>user management</li>
<li>access to all the data</li>
<li>all had to be accessible and compliant</li>
</ul>
<p>I won’t list anymore but you hopefully get the gist and understand it was an very important part of the jigsaw. Internally we have referred to this platform as the <strong>user, course, order content management system</strong> (it rolls of the tongue). Looking around we didn’t have anything in house that could do the above so we again did the business analysis, market analysis, spoke to some great institutions to understand products available. We implemented a Eduframe by Drieam which is used by a few other UK Universities.</p>
<p>Eduframe did come with a WordPress based website however my development colleagues flagged concerns (they have been burned by WordPress a few times). We then looked at Drupal (which is used for the University website) however again it didn’t meet are long list of requirements. So we plonked for developing a<strong> bespoke website using the next,js framework</strong>. That will be its own blog like all the other services discussed in this post but a big thank you to Andrew Millington for all his support and advise to get the website off the ground.</p>
<p><strong>What about data!</strong> We love data so needed to ensure we could access all the data to allow for pretty visuals to be created and large numbers to be shared on professional media channels. Eduframe has as set of APIs that have allowed us to a Power BI App (they have their own app but we love developing stuff), Canvas has in product analytics and Canvas Data 2 and we use GA4 for web analytics. Its alot of data.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><figure id="attachment_560" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-560" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-560" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-300x226.jpg" alt="whiteboard with my brain" width="300" height="226" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-300x226.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-768x578.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-2048x1542.jpg 2048w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-1275x960.jpg 1275w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-560" class="wp-caption-text">Data Data Data brain dump on a whiteboard</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>So how do staff access the platform without needing a separate login or going through a long and convoluted process to get access to the platform? We created a <strong>teacher admin app</strong> using the Eduframe APIs that syncs with the central user management system. This allows admins to enable access to the short course platform with the assurance that when staff leave accounts are updated. Staff login using their UoE account so don’t need to find that bit of paper with a password (I am joking…).</p>
<p>So, to summarise the below are the key services that make up the short course platform.</p>
<ul>
<li>Virtual learning environment</li>
<li>User, course, order content management system</li>
<li>Bespoke website using the next,js framework</li>
<li>Data reporting tools</li>
<li>Teacher admin app</li>
</ul>
<p>This list does not cover the payment integrations, the numerous integrations we have with tools in canvas and the numerous workflows required to support courses (book, apply, private, waiting lists etc) but hopefully it provides an overview of the services we have implemented that allow us to successfully support and manage the short course platform at scale.</p>
<p>So on reflection 3 years ago I was blissfully paddle boarding on Loch Ness not knowing what was lurking beneath, bit like the implementation of any new service.<br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2025-08-07" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 7, 2025</time><br />
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<title>Failure and me</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/failure-and-me/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/failure-and-me/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Mar 2025 08:43:30 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[service]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=544</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The past few weeks have reminded me that failure is a part of everything we do. Whether it’s in our professional lives or personal pursuits, from breaking an application to playing a game incorrectly and not winning, failure happens. The term ‘failure’ sounds harsh, but for me, it is about becoming comfortable with it and […]]]></description>
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<p>The past few weeks have reminded me that failure is a part of everything we do. Whether it’s in our professional lives or personal pursuits, from breaking an application to playing a game incorrectly and not winning, failure happens. The term ‘failure’ sounds harsh, but for me, it is about becoming comfortable with it and ensuring we mitigate its effects.</p>
<p>As we approach the launch of a new platform at the university, it is difficult not to reflect on missed opportunities or things we could have done differently. I need to remind myself that when we started, we didn’t have the wealth of knowledge that we have now, gained over the last 18 months. It’s challenging for me not to get caught up in a “failure spiral,” which can have negative consequences both professionally and personally.</p>
<p>I listen to a few sports podcasts, and a quote by Samuel Beckett came up:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better – Samuel Beckett</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I love this quote! Failure, when rolling out not just one, but five new applications, along with brand new processes, creating a new service, introducing new technology, new workflows, training, understanding the present, planning for the future, onboarding, involvement in boards and steering groups, and dealing with compliance—how can we not fail? Therefore, we need to get comfortable with failure, but try to “fail better” by:</p>
<ol>
<li>Accepting that it has happened, and for me, it’s part of the job. Get comfortable.</li>
<li>Reviewing what happened by getting the facts.</li>
<li>Understanding why it happened, which sometimes involves digging deeper than the facts.</li>
<li>Developing new strategies so we do not fail in the same way again or so we can fail better.</li>
<li>Implementing a process or workflow to help us, which is documented.</li>
<li>Communicating consistently in all the above steps. It’s not easy, but it’s key.</li>
</ol>
<p>Obviously, we want to deliver a service that is perfect, but in my 20 years of working in the tech center, I have yet to find an application that hasn’t changed, that hasn’t been rebranded, or that hasn’t required UI changes, that still is exactly the same as it was when it launched. Look at Apple; they love to tell us it’s perfect, but what they define as “flawed perfection” means it’s constantly changing.</p>
<p>Accepting failure doesn’t mean we sit back with popcorn and watch the “wheels fall off.” Failing better, for me, involves a lot of work to ensure we minimize failure (if possible) and are prepared when it happens (again, sometimes we aren’t, as it could be a new workflow, patch, cyber attack, user requirement, or edge case scenario).</p>
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<time datetime="2025-03-13" itemprop="dateModified">Mar 13, 2025</time>
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<title>2024: the year of short courses & the edge!</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2024-the-year-of-short-courses-the-edge/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2024-the-year-of-short-courses-the-edge/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:18:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=529</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>This is my reflection on my 2024. It’s for me but you can come along for a few minutes. First reflection, why have I not blogged more this year! Simple answer its been hectic but I feel like I could have reflected on a more regular basis the 12 month journey. Second reflection, what a […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>This is my reflection on my 2024. It’s for me but you can come along for a few minutes.</p>
<p>First reflection, why have I not blogged more this year! Simple answer its been hectic but I feel like I could have reflected on a more regular basis the 12 month journey.</p>
<p>Second reflection, what a year!</p>
<p>By the end of 2023 we signed the contract with Drieam (who support the learner, course and order management platform called <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Feduframe.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cc57c79c049f74fc4222608dd3536802c%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C638725230381480477%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qiL39YC%2B0JyNdVLoKhQQo%2FHuTFRPszgLbUrHKTbRDpQ%3D&reserved=0">eduframe.com</a>) and Instructure (who host the learning platform called Canvas <a href="https://www.instructure.com">https://www.instructure.com</a>) to help us deliver the new Short Course Platform. It had taken 6 months of procurement and legal wrangling to get the contract sorted but in December 2023 it was finally signed. The short course platform will allow the public to browse courses via a web site, create an account, pay (if costed), enrol, learn, maybe get a digital badge and hopefully come back and repeat the process.</p>
<p>The platform aims to emulate a lot of the learnings from the core VLE projects including a consistent user experience, replacing laborious and admin heavy workarounds and having a clear purpose/strategy/vision. It has been a gap in the learning eco-system for a while and we have seen schools/depts bend tools and policies to meet their needs.</p>
<p>Interestingly with the current issues in HE we are starting to see a few other institutions spin up similar platforms. When we started this journey 2 years ago only a few examples existed but with institutions keen to explore additional revenue tracks we have seen similar platforms come online but that’s a different blog.</p>
<p>Like any new service we are starting fresh, which is great! But as soon as we started to update stakeholders and share the news more widely that we had signed a contract then comes the big questions…..when will it be available? Can we use it? How do I use it? Is it compliant? Will the learners like it? What is a learner? Can I show it to my friends? What is a short course?</p>
<p>It can feel like a landslide but I am lucky to work with people who are very supportive, open to ideas and like me love a plan(ner).The service isn’t just one new service, its 4 new platforms, training, guidance, marketing, communication, stakeholder engagement (one off and ongoing), terms of use, legal, compliant handling, data protection, accessibility, reporting (another new service so make that 5), terminology and the list goes on and on.</p>
<p>Spinning up a new service involves working with colleagues inside the department and making sure we are all confident or if not approachable to ask questions. Sounds easy but it’s probably the toughest part, the people who are the face of change need to speak the same language or stakeholders will lose confidence pretty quickly and that can cause tension in teams (who said what, why, when, did they not read the 1000 page memo).</p>
<p>Change agents also need to change. The ability to listen and change what we have thought about, developed or delivered is also key but with the caveat it must be based on facts. I listen to sports podcasts and was really intrigued by a football manager saying the team needed to focus on the team’s core goals (playing good football) and not be driven by the edge (bad passes and mistakes). That edge in service delivery can sometimes be a blocker to progress especially when creating a new service. Evaluating the use case and categorising it is key to understanding impact and priority especially when deadline is involved.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong use cases generated by stakeholders need to be listened to and evaluated but it’s the teams requirement to review and categories. Sometimes its not popular with stakeholders however I am a firm believer that services are never perfect. They evolve as does the requirements, the users (all of them) and the underlying technology. Services deliver to the masses and aim to meet all requirements however I have struggled to work on a service that doesn’t have a wish list or a product development roadmap.</p>
<p>The quicker you get comfortable with the edge the better.</p>
<p>My role in the project is technical lead but I feel more like a troubleshooter and negotiator. I have had to get to grips with 4 new bit of tech (content management system, payment portal, new VLE, a website developed on Next.js, a user provisioning tools) and help design a 5<sup>th</sup> (data reporting tool), negotiate with others use of the tools, design, onboarding for early adopter, project timelines and I am mentally knackered. Thankfully (again) a good team and me being very open about forgetting stuff and asking for reminders or checking my notes (which have merged into teams chats) has helped keep me on track. A technical lead sounds like someone who knows it all and I don’t but that’s ok. My role is offering workflows and options to a problem whilst speaking to the experts to help me map it out. Last Monday I had no clue on GA4 and now we have a plan to debug tags. Last Jan I started to play with APIs of the new platforms and now not a day goes by when I don’t have postman open and I am trying to figure out something.</p>
<p>2024 has been a blast but it’s been difficult. The projects have been challenging and that’s not just the tech. My confidence has taken a bit of a bashing along the way but its not personal. I will look back when we finally go live in May 2025 and think 2024 is the year we made a lot of decisions, I learned a little bit more about me and I am sharing some with you as it may help and remembe0 for any service its not the destination as there is never a destination, its just one big journey.<br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2024-12-23" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 23, 2024</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>Canvas UK & Ireland User Group December 2024</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-uk-ireland-user-group-december-2024/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-uk-ireland-user-group-december-2024/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Dec 2024 17:01:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ai]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[canvas]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sd]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=521</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>A user group is a great way to get the latest product gossip from the supplier and more importantly other institutions. They are great ways to network, get inspiration from peers and generally gauge where we are in the current implementation compared to others (plus free pastries).The Canvas UK & Ireland user group was hosted […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>
<p>A user group is a great way to get the latest product gossip from the supplier and more importantly other institutions. They are great ways to network, get inspiration from peers and generally gauge where we are in the current implementation compared to others (plus free pastries).<br />The Canvas UK & Ireland user group was hosted by Manchester University. The day covered the Canvas roadmap, rubric adoption at medical schools, institutions migrating to canvas from another suppliers, break out sessions on analytics and administration of a VLE and more however there seemed to be one theme that was ever present in sessions, AI.</p>
<p>The first presenter represented FE and discussed how they had developed AI tools based on the Azure Framework (Microsoft) to create assessment feedback for students, assessment feedback summaries for staff and AI assistants to support students. The session highlighted how coding light tools can be developed using existing frameworks, APIs and a lot of engagement with users. The session generated a lot of questions including environmental impact, opt-in/out, academic integrity, quality and assurance of feedback etc. These questions aren’t new but I feel like we have moved from a space where we questioned AI and how it would be included in education to a new space where institutions themselves are developing tools.</p>
<p>With Open AI and the rapid evolution of LLMs suppliers are rushing to squeeze AI into their applications but at what risk? And why? I feel like we are partly to blame as we like new stuff but also want to improve the staff and student experience. It feels like AI might be the new thing that will solve all our problems (did someone saying Learning Analytics…). Like any new tech and especially with LLMs we also need to factor that these cohorts may have a certain level of expectation that AI is integrated into their professional, academic or learning journey. My fear is where should it be integrated and why?</p>
<p><br />New stuff is always fun for me but as someone who works with technology, I also need to consider the why? What is this bringing to the user’s experience? Do we have a gap? Does it improve the users experience? Any repercussions we need to consider? Speaking to design colleagues and stakeholders should drive the change and with AI I don’t know how much of a conversation is happening with users. Don’t get me wrong we need to start somewhere, and basic support bots being used to support users (like <a href="https://information-services.ed.ac.uk/computing/comms-and-collab/elm">ELM</a> or <a href="https://edhelp.ed.ac.uk/">EDHelp</a>) help us grow knowledge and at the same time they practically allow end-users to interact and maybe think about additional functionality they would like to see included in these tools or where they can envision these tools supporting them.</p>
<p>Instructure will be releasing more AI functionality and already have tools like Insights which utilises aspects of AI so:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>‘buckle your seat Dorothy, cause Kanvas is going bye-bye!’ – Cypher, The Matrix.<br /><br /></p>
</blockquote>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2024-12-09" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 9, 2024</time>
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<title>2023 Reflection</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2023-reflection/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2023-reflection/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Dec 2023 09:46:14 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital badges]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=497</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 3</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>It has been a while since I sat down with my thoughts. I have been talking about making time to blog and reflect and today is the day! If you’re new here, hello! This will not be an ideological masterpiece or reference books I read related to the role but more a personal reflection for […]]]></description>
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<p>It has been a while since I sat down with my thoughts. I have been talking about making time to blog and reflect and today is the day! If you’re new here, hello! This will not be an ideological masterpiece or reference books I read related to the role but more a personal reflection for me on me, but you can read it (just don’t tell anyone!).</p>
<p>My 2023 will be the year of procurement, digital badges, and supporting the team (bored reading about AI so omitting it until Jan 2024).<br /><br />I have previously blogged about digital badges and how they have emerged from the pit of edu-tech doom and evolved into something that has value for issuers, earners and anyone else who is interested in the recognition of skills, achievements or competencies. I have also talked about replacing standalone credit that equates to nothing in the real world and longer term how institutions will need to offer digital versions of credit as the death of paper accelerates. I get it that people will still want to frame awards etc I just think that may be a minority.<br /><br />The team has done a fantastic job completing a procurement and establishing a service to support a 3-year pilot which we hope will extend with the pending new fun aka the short course platform. In just over 6 months we have issued over 1.5k badges, created and supported a badge governance process, created numerous guides and snazzy webpages, and planned to experiment with badge pathways in 2024. If you are interested have a peek at the webpage: <a href="https://edin.ac/3Waglnj">https://edin.ac/3Waglnj</a> and yes that is a badger wearing a jacket with badges (they are called Bo the badger).</p>
<p><br />I can only see badge popularity and use cases growing however I have concerns regarding the quality of products in the market, cost (platform prices vary vastly) and openness of underlying badge frameworks and portability. With Instructure hoovering up Badgr and now Parchment a big player is making an early move and the wider impact will be interesting to watch.</p>
<p>Procurements are always interesting and when the outcome is a brand new service it’s even more ‘exciting’. At this point I am going to read your mind, are you thinking something along the lines of…</p>
<p>‘Wow Wow, Myles is that a typo!, has the eggnog gone to your head!’ </p>
<p>The answer is no, in a weird and slightly concerning way it’s been fascinating to work with the project team to collaborate, collate, refine and produce a vision with key stakeholders for a new centrally supported platform that will allow the public to view CPD, PPD and any other short courses. pay (if required) and access a dedicated learning platform or be sent any relevant course information. </p>
<p>Ok, in reality, the devil is in the details and creating clear and concise questions that suppliers need to answer is a challenge. Interpreting those answers and scoring them is a bigger challenge especially then the question set is over 100 questions! Then agreeing to scores and feedback is a bigger challenge! It’s like Mortal Combat but without the combat as that would involve HR (however sometimes I think it would have been quicker to just have the combat).</p>
<p>So why did we need to go into the combat ring of procurement? Currently, these types of courses are delivered via numerous platforms, can be an admin burden to support staff, provide an inconsistent and sometimes poor learner experience and may be breaching software licenses (moving on swiftly). To summarise it’s very Edinburgh. everyone is doing something different. So, we proposed a change as we saw a clear gap and after lots of conversations, papers, presentations, and acronym searching we secured support from senior management and a budget from the institution. Instructure and Drieam won the procurement, and I look forward to working with them in 2024.</p>
<p>I manage a small team and also deputize for the section head. I enjoy both and am fortunate to be surrounded by people I respect and enjoy working with each day but this year has taught me to be a human first and a manager second. Work-life balance has always been important to me, especially with a family and growing up in a family where that balance did not exist and witnessing the impact on people’s mental and physical health has always been a valuable lesson to me.</p>
<p>I work hard as Myles Blaney team manager, technical lead, senior service manager, internal consultant, HR rep for the team, information security rep for the section, procurement mediator, badge specialist, and everything else in between. So, I need time to be Myles Blaney gym enthusiast, bike rider, Newcastle United fan, MMA fan, gamer, husband, dad, son, brother, dad taxi, family event planner, and spectator to name a few. I am lucky to have control of my balance due to my supportive manager but I also need to take control of it when I have it and not to quickly check or reply to a ping in teams.</p>
<p>Lastly, AI! It’s here to stay and we are only at the base of the hype curve. I have dabbled this year with Karen into what other institutions are doing and it’s another blog I will post in Jan 2024. Exciting and terrifying at the same time but not new just quicker, faster and better.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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<time datetime="2023-12-21" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 21, 2023</time>
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<title>Canvas Credentials: the new open digital badge platform</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-credentials-the-new-open-digital-badge-platform/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-credentials-the-new-open-digital-badge-platform/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 30 Mar 2023 08:32:31 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital badges]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[instructure]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=482</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>Finally after months of scoring procurement questions, analysing costs and negotiation I am pleased to announce that we will be providing open digital badges via Canvas Credentials (formally called Badgr).This is the start of a 3 year pilot to understand the value of digital badges for all stakeholders. Obviously for the earners aka the people […]]]></description>
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<p>Finally after months of scoring procurement questions, analysing costs and negotiation I am pleased to announce that we will be providing open digital badges via Canvas Credentials (formally called Badgr).<br /><br />This is the start of a 3 year pilot to understand the value of digital badges for all stakeholders. Obviously for the earners aka the people awarded a badge(s), will it help motivate them? will they share it on digital CVs or social media? will they even click on the email and accept the badge? what about employability? how do they value a digital badge?<br /><br />How about issuers aka the schools that award the badge, is the platform easy to use? does it allow them the flexibility to develop and deliver standalone and badges which are interlinked (like a pathway)? what about resource for managing all things badges? and why bother with badges?<br /><br />Hang on, what about IS (we are people too), how does it affect us as issuer, earners and support? So all of the above plus is the platform robust? does it provide what the issuers and earners need? how will the service grow? will be see a badge bonanza or the butchering of badges?<br /><br />Whatever will happen the next few years will allow us to pilot and review the premium version of canvas credentials. For clarification when I say premium I mean paid for aka we get extra bits and bobs like:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lots of Analytics: data, data, data</li>
<li>Organisation Management: aka one admin to rule them all! </li>
<li>Ability to add skills to a badge: I got skills their multiplying!</li>
<li>Ability to add custom fields to a badge: starting to panic about how this could be used!</li>
<li>Pathways: interlinked badges journeys</li>
</ul>
<p>Sounds pretty cool! Pathways are probably the ‘funnest’ (not a word but you know what I mean) premium tool which will allow schools or departments to create open stackable badges or paths (basic, intermediate, high ) to a higher level of achievement (Expert). These can include internal or external open badges so in theory could involve external bodies (e.g. companies, other institutions) and users can track their own progress! (take a breathe!).</p>
<p>And what have we decided to call the new open digital badge pilot/service……(drum roll)……BadgEd! (we got the word badge, we are the University of Edinburgh and we love incorporating Ed into stuff). </p>
<p>Sounds like a busy few years? You interested in finding out some more information? Ain’t you lucky we created this website where you can find out some more information on the <a href="https://edin.ac/40QRuX3">BadgEd webpages.</a></p>
<p><br />Finally this wouldn’t be possible without all the hard work of colleagues who have been exceptional (as usual) to help get from an idea to a live pilot (so thanks goes to Delia, Tracey, Nikki, Karen, Fiona and Ellen). Let the hard (fun) work begin….<br /><br /></p>
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<time datetime="2023-03-30" itemprop="dateModified">Mar 30, 2023</time>
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<title>Digital Badges, not just a pretty picture</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/digital-badges-not-just-a-pretty-picture/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/digital-badges-not-just-a-pretty-picture/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2022 15:48:03 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital badges]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=455</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>Digital badges are back! They never went away I hear you say and yes? Of course not but we did enter an odd phase were badges were being issued for anything or everything (I like to refer to this era as the ‘Oprah Winfrey’ era). So we all got badges and the value of a […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>Digital badges are back! They never went away I hear you say and yes? Of course not but we did enter an odd phase were badges were being issued for anything or everything (I like to refer to this era as the ‘Oprah Winfrey’ era).</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium aligncenter" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7ZeQBhbVGnELP4bK/giphy.gif" alt="you get a gif" width="480" height="326" /></p>
<p>So we all got badges and the value of a badge declined plus how could we validate the badge, where do we put the badges to promote ourselves? So the badge hype slowly dwindled to some hardcore fans who issued badges sporadically. Badge strategies were forgotten and images of badges were added to email signatures with no ability to validate someones claim to be an Google Cloud wizard. I should also state that the frustration with badges also may be related to lack of platforms to develop and issue plus the limited options for styling, metadata and a space for an earner to host (yes Mozilla backpack was available however if you used it then you would understand it had issues).</p>
<p>I personally worked with badges via Blackboard learn a few years ago and we had some great use cases but the value of badges was not recognized by external institutions or private companies.</p>
<p>Fast forward a few years and the digital badge ecosystem has evolved. IMS open badge standards have been widely adopted by numerous suppliers, the options for badge creation & management is also diverse with open, free and paid for services available and most importantly the understanding that to maintain value for digital badges institution needs to have a strategy for badge creation.</p>
<p>The value aspect is key, speaking to other institutions in the UK and US they have stressed how value can only be maintained by guidance and governance. Guidance ensures standardization of the visual, the metadata and criteria for awarding. The visual is key and in most cases badge consumers (someone who sees a badge on a host platform aka linkedin, personal web page, email signature) will only see a small thumbnail of the image so keeping it clean and not going full Picasso is key. To get around the visual issue the creation of a style guide and a badge template helps subdue any hidden artistic desires.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium aligncenter" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l4tV5VQbNScIikY4o/giphy.gif" alt="picasso art" width="480" height="480" /></p>
<p>Metadata is key, its the data/information that provides the context for the badge and includes fields like description, competencies, achievements, award criteria, expiration and the ability for consumers to check validation! Yes, if you have shared a badge I can check if your a world of war craft level 6 orc from the dune sea by clicking on the validate button.</p>
<p>Governance allows users to request a badge and for it to be reviewed by badge champions to ensure we do not create 100 badges for the same thing, ensure badge value is maintained (aka we don’t hurtle back to the Oprah era, PS you get a badge for reading this far!) and badge visuals are maintained (we want the University of Edinburgh badge experience to follow established design guidelines and best practices) . I would stress that governance is a mix of academic and service staff all with a vested interest in the success of digital badges.</p>
<p>So we have a process and some standards so what do we issue badges for? As highlighted earlier they have been issued for everything and we are keen to avoid those dark days. Badges have a place for recognition of extra curricula or non-curricula skills, competencies or achievements that may not be recognized via other awards or even at all. Badges can be used to level up the softer skills that are core to user development or simply recognize the skills, competencies or achievements a user has gained. Badges spans the digital ecosystem and user base and could be issued on a MOOC platform to a user completing the book MOOC or to a member of staff for competing the Information security training.</p>
<p>So I gained a badge what next? How about recommendations for associated badges which can build upon your skills, achievements or competencies gained via a previous badge. Or the ability to share on a host platform (go on be that LinkedIn boaster who announces everything they are doing to the world) or it can be kept private. Even better imagine having a space that is yours for life and doesn’t need you to be registered at the university, your account, your personal email address your in control. Or don’t claim the badge its all up to the earner (They have the power!)</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/yhK4PWI9WJ0c/giphy.gif" alt="i have the power" width="320" height="240" /></p>
<p>The good news is that this service will be launching in the academic year 2022-23 and the team will share more thoughts once we pick a platform. The last thing I wanted to share is that whilst we are focusing on non-credit extra/non-curricula skills, achievements and competencies we are starting to hear institution considering issuing badges for UG and PG degree awards which kinda makes sense. Question if you have a degree what do you have to show your awesome achievement? and more importantly where is it? Personally I got a paper certificate and it sits in a cupboard with all my life admin things. Its not visible, its not verifiable and its on a bit of paper which isn’t great for the environment. A digital badge is verifiable and can be shared on numerous professional and/or personal platforms plus no trees were cut down to produce it. Sure the award ceremony might be slightly different however I have a feeling that the digital badge will be more useful to graduates.</p>
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<time datetime="2022-08-09" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 9, 2022</time><br />
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<title>My Hybrid Reflections (not yours!)</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/my-hybrid-reflections-not-yours/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/my-hybrid-reflections-not-yours/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2021 09:52:18 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[hybrid]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=421</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>19 months ago the thought of me staying at home for 23hrs for months would have terrified me, however we got out routine sorted which helped a lot, this included Joe Wicks 0900, BoJo presser at 1700 (do this but don’t do this), becoming at P2 teacher 1330-1600 (elbow pads in the post), family walk […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>
<p>19 months ago the thought of me staying at home for 23hrs for months would have terrified me, however we got out routine sorted which helped a lot, this included Joe Wicks 0900, BoJo presser at 1700 (do this but don’t do this), becoming at P2 teacher 1330-1600 (elbow pads in the post), family walk on the golf course 1600-1700. Throughout that period my working arrangements shifted from room to room as my setup evolved into a desk in my spare bedroom with a large screen and laptop. I have also blogged about the transitions if your interested in the detail but now I am now a hybrid worker.</p>
<p>Hybrid, what’s that? Well it’s kinda like a bit of office working and a bit of home working and for my working situation it makes a lot of common sense. Why does it work for me? The flexibility is something I have craved for years. I worked at home 1 day a week for 13 years, it allowed me to focus on documentation (if you have had the pleasure of working with me you know I love a good process document and making things transparent for anyone involved, who wouldn’t, share the fun), building servers remotely and other individual tasks with maybe the odd phone call to ask people to press a button on campus. Over the 13 years technology has evolved from email, messenger, skype for business (once you got it working) and now teams or Zoom. </p>
<p>Technology evolves and whilst we adapt it seamlessly into our non-working lives, with some of us actively promoting it for work, are 9-5 environment has stagnated due to numerous factors that include open spaces and noise, users unfamiliarity with the technology (e.g. can you hear me, I have poor Wi-Fi. Cat face – to name a few common issues), the technology being regarded as secondary, peoples personal or meeting room hardware setups (some people have vanity lights some people have 3 laptops perched on encyclopaedias). With the tech evolving we can now do remote tasks which now include group work (ability to host or join online meetings), group text chat, drop-ins to chat, share a screen and work through shared documents or issues. </p>
<p>So the technology has evolved (braw!) however the office space hasn’t however what is the office meant to be? I have blogged that people are the campus and they! This has been clearly shown over the numerous lockdowns but as a red brick university the campus is the shop floor for the bulk of roles. IS touch numerous points of campus life (on and remote) and we have shown we can work in extreme circumstances however personally for me I prefer a hybrid work space, which is ultimately a flexible work space.</p>
<p>Home working is great, no trains, no flesh market close steps, no expensive sandwich or coffee shops, work in leisure clothes (bought my first pair of tracksuit bottoms 6 months ago….), no running to meetings basically a lot of good points,. I love my house however I like coming back to it (bit like when you walk in the door post-holiday after sharing a confined space with the hobbits) and I am a strong believer in work life balance. Now for me what work life balance means is ‘give and take’ aka flexibility, managing time/resource, honestly. It may sound preachy but having a young family has taught me to enjoy the time and separate work (like the LTW no comms after 6 policy). I know people who find this impossible and to be honest it freaks me out but it’s their decision. </p>
<p>Working in the office 2 days gives me a bit of separation and allows me to plan 2 different days however I don’t plan them any different and for the foreseeable wont. I come in and work, catch up with folks, meet online or in-person and go home. Currently 2 days is enough and not due to COVID concerns but due to the change in routine (which I am over) and the office feeling different. The space feels subdued and when I come in it’s like a Saturday. It’s quiet for a time however co-ordinating days when others (usually Karen or Nikki) are in helps prioritise tasks for those days, allows us to bounce ideas around (scheduling collaboration and spontaneity on Teams is difficult) and lets me see other people J which I miss. Some of the people I get to work with or share an office with are worth the train fare alone to cheer me up. The human side of work and the office has been something I have blogged about before and it’s one of the reasons why I enjoy my job.</p>
<p>So let’s be honest about the office, desk layout isn’t the best for online meetings and mics pick up other conversations pretty quickly. Meeting rooms are quiet but rely heavily on tech working and the building not being full (booking a room prior to COVID was like a playing a game in Squid Games – somebody would die!). If we are to adopt hybrid shared desk arrangements, thinning of the space would help. The creation of more social sitting and printer booth breakout spaces would help the space however my big thing is the noise. We probably need to admit that for a truly hybrid space the open spaces will need to be a bit more nosier due to online meetings held at desk, more collaboration spaces in teams local environments (again noisy) and the acceptance that the office should be a collaboration space and not just a undefined space with a desk with your stuff on it. Making it a collaboration friendly space helps hybrid workers however like we have all gone through over the past months it would require a change and physical office space changes are probably the most difficult to accept.</p>
<p>So hybrid for me works, the tech now allows us the flexibility, management now understand having being entrenched in it during lockdowns but (always a but) the office isn’t configured to support it…yet. My experience of coming into the office isn’t negative however it could be better which I will be feeding back.</p>
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<time datetime="2021-11-16" itemprop="dateModified">Nov 16, 2021</time>
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<title>Who needs awards anyway!</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/who-needs-awards-anyway/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/who-needs-awards-anyway/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:59:32 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=663</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The Short Course Platform project team were nominated for 2 awards at the 2026 IS Staff Recognition Awards. The team of the year award and contribution to the community award and unfortunately we didn’t win! Firstly, congratulations to all the winners. It’s nice to see teams and individuals get recognition for the work they do […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>
<p>The Short Course Platform project team were nominated for 2 awards at the 2026 IS Staff Recognition Awards. The team of the year award and contribution to the community award and unfortunately we didn’t win! Firstly, congratulations to all the winners. It’s nice to see teams and individuals get recognition for the work they do above and beyond to accomplish some amazing tasks. Secondly. we were robbed<br /><br />We had drafted a speech (after all the wild celebrations, kissing the badge, knee slides and general mocking and aggressive finger pointing at the opposition) and whilst we didn’t get the opportunity to read it out I still think it’s worth sharing as a last thank you for those involved in delivering the short course platform. It’s the end of a programme but the beginning of a new service.<br /><br /><br />The Speech:<br /><br />The short course platform was a programme that started just under 4 years ago. It was after the closure of the distance learning at scale programme which may not have been the burning success we wanted however it had taught us valuable lessons which ultimately led us to the successful launch of the short course platform.<br /><br />I think what I want to flag, is that sometimes things don’t work out the way you wanted or expected , but that’s ok, learning and evolving is part of our roles and the sweet doesn’t taste as sweet without the sour.<br /><br />We would like to acknowledge all the support and time provided by stakeholders across the institution who attended numerous, steering groups, boards, demo sessions and various meetings. Their patience and time have ultimately steered and supported us to deliver a successful programme and sets of services used by over 7k learners accessing over 1k courses so far.<br /><br />We would not be accepting this award without the hard work and down right determination of some key folk who have worked collaboratively across LTW and Apps. On behalf of the team we need to thank section heads Stuart and Karen for their invaluable support. Andrews team for delivering a snazzy shopfront, Lauren and Fiona’s team for all their hard work in designing course, websites, an amazing spoint hub and training just to name a few things. Legal for doing legal stuff and Neil for helping us understand it. Viki Galts team for everything accessibility. All the PMs that have organised us over the last few years and Ellen who got us over the line. Cassie for organising groups, boards, papers and making sense of are wittering’s in meetings. Adam Scott and Gordon Forbes for guiding us through the madness of finance. My team for delivering 5 technical services and all the related compliance and process fun that all involve. Lastly, I want to thank Nikki Stuart for the drive and support for the delivery of the platform. <br /><br />The short course programme felt like a family, dysfunctional at times but aren’t all families/projects.</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2026-02-17" itemprop="dateModified">Feb 17, 2026</time>
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<title>2025: The year SCP took off</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2025-the-year-scp-took-off/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2025-the-year-scp-took-off/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:15:55 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Short Courses Platform]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=573</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 3</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>That time of year again when I need to pause, breathe and look back at 2025 and remind myself to reflect but this year feels a bit different. First thing, launching the new short course platform, which includes 5 services (not 6 or 7……that one is for all the parents), numerous integrations (one being online […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 3</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>That time of year again when I need to pause, breathe and look back at 2025 and remind myself to reflect but this year feels a bit different.</p>
<p>First thing, launching the new short course platform, which includes 5 services (not 6 or 7……that one is for all the parents), numerous integrations (one being online payment platform so everyone panics about financial transactions), compliance (privacy policies, terms and conditions for a new service), processes (we have the tech but how do we use it, support it, manage it, update it, access it, review it, communicate it, approve it etc) has been challenging.</p>
<p>I love a challenge but 2025 has been a tough one hence my reflection feeling different if not slightly weird. The pressure and expectation to have all the answers to various elements of a new platform (technical and non-technical) at stages throughout this year has been difficult to manage.</p>
<p>Part of this is my own expectation to have the answers or simply know everything. Part of this was my own disappointment and frustration when I didn’t. Part of this is the pressure cooker of delivering a new platform across the institution during a period of financial instability. It’s a lot of parts (some I haven’t included) but in reality, the only part I can fully control is me. Turning off a bit more sounds like an easy solution but it felt impossible. I honestly look back and am thankful for my colleagues who have supported me in 2025. SCP took a chunk of me and getting it out the door nearly broke me.</p>
<p>Friday emails (I don’t work Fridays) and teams conversations kept me in cycle of checking in when I should have been checking out. Don’t get me wrong, my role is to deliver and support services so it’s part of the JD and its with great joy the teams have delivered but the paranoid version of me questions “what did I do”. I know the answer but when things start to go wrong it leads to darker place. Am I mansplaining, are the right people included, what did that person mean, we agreed this but its changed, why?, why am I not invited to that meeting? Constant thoughts swirling through my head when in reality as the project grew you need to let go as it’s impossible to do it all. Placing trust in others but more importantly practising what you preach, sharing the load (like Samwise Gangee wanted to help Frodo by carrying the one ring into the fires of mount doom……), be transparent and listen.</p>
<p>I enjoy the challenge, I love pushing myself but I don’t have all the answers, I get stuff wrong and I am only 1 person. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable has been a big mentality change. It helps when your surrounded by supportive people.<br />
Practically, I also installed an app blocker on my phone which makes accessing Teams and checking emails on a Friday a living nightmare as my phone makes me jump through multiple hurdles to even login to Teams (which is a kinda great!).</p>
<p>Learning and playing more with APIs, agile methodologies, Power BI, headless CMS, resource planning, release planning, power apps, power flow, Canvas, virtual meetings, communications, working groups, BAU are things that have all of a sudden merged into my vocabulary over the past 12 months. Lessons learnt is a term I am looking forward to using less over 2026…..although it’s part of however they are key to the of reflecting and being honest (as much as you can be).</p>
<p>SCP launched in June and so far we have over 450 courses which have ran just under 1000 times, 7k learners and over 11,500 enrolments which have either been via online card transactions or backend fun orders. The platform was a massive task with contributions from various teams in IS and across the institution. Listening and adapting the platform or the requirements has been pivotal to launching a platform that is starting to gain traction amongst schools.</p>
<p>Sadly, it will be the last year in Argyle House or as some may recognise the building as the police station in Dept Q (Netflix). Looking at a castle every day, having easy access to meeting rooms, seemingly always being on or close to a film set (T2, Frankenstein, Avengers) will be things I will miss. Listening to the jazz folk jam under the bridge at castle terrace will definitely not be something I will miss. We move in March and I wil miss the eye sore.</p>
<p>Overall, 2025 will always be the year we launched and I am proud of what we achieved. 2026 already has private courses, programmes, website enhancements and more on the agenda with less access to Teams and a bit more confidence in myself to get things wrong and the odd time right. Anyway, this is for me not you but if you feel the same sometimes, talk to someone. It does help.</p>
<p> <br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2025-12-22" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 22, 2025</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>Short Courses Platform Implementation and Me</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/short-courseplatform-implementation-and-me/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/short-courseplatform-implementation-and-me/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2025 14:07:26 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Short Courses Platform]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=555</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The new short course platform is alive! First thing you might ask is ‘What is a short course?’. Well, these are courses that enable learners around the world to gain a new skills, expand their interests in a topic, or fulfil professional development needs. Secondly, go have a look at the shiny new UoE developed […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The new short course platform is alive!</p>
<p>First thing you might ask is ‘What is a short course?’. Well, these are courses that enable learners around the world to gain a new skills, expand their interests in a topic, or fulfil professional development needs.</p>
<p>Secondly, go have a look at the shiny new <a href="https://shortcourses.ed.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UoE developed short courses website</a> that allows you to browse, view details on a course, register, pay (if costed), sign up to mailing lists, receive automated comms on the course and access course material via a dedicated VLE/LMS or whatever letters you like to call an online learning platform (it can do more but I don’t want to spoil the fun).</p>
<p>3 years of my life have been dedicated to launching this set of services and its been a roller coaster. but for today lets briefly talk about the set of service that make up the short course platform. This blog won’t cover all the amazing work done by colleagues for course design, branding, marketing etc but will discuss the services (platforms) that make up the short course platform.</p>
<p><strong>The background (always important to tell the back story)</strong></p>
<p>Short courses are offered by various schools across the institution and have been managed and taught via numerous platforms and usually involved a lot of disjointed workflows for learners, teacher and administrators. Short courses didn’t have a dedicated service, we had a gap in the digital eco-system and learners were managed in silo via over complicated workflows and taught on platforms that maybe shouldn’t have been used or weren’t the best for delivering or supporting learning.</p>
<p>Quite a conundrum but not a new one to many of us. Start the business analysis, market analysis, funding applications, procurement and contract sign off (I skipped a lot of steps but that’s another blog) and we get to the fun stuff, implementation.</p>
<p><strong><br />
The services (get ready for learning technology bingo)</strong></p>
<p>The obvious ones are a <strong>Virtual learning environment</strong> so we can facilitate online, hybrid, and in person teaching and learning. The university loves collecting VLEs and at one point I think we had completed the sticker album and had a few swaps available (mostly Moodles). An early decision was to consider a standalone VLE that would separate learners and students and for an institution that has spent years consolidating VLEs this was the first big decision.</p>
<p>It was clear looking at the options this would be more beneficial technically and practically. Technically VLEs all share very similar elements and for short courses we would being use a subset of the tools available but we needed a reliable and stable platform that could support us as the service grew.</p>
<p>Practically we wanted learners to create and manage their own accounts which also reduces the admin burden on courses who may have been managing users manually. Splitting the audience allowed us more flexibility to offer a tailored learning experience to learners but (and its a biggie) we were very wary that we would be introducing a new platform which teachers and administrators would need to learn. This comes back to my initial point VLEs under the hood do have similarities and we understood the risk. We implemented Canvas by Instructure.</p>
<p>We also needed a shopfront which would be a multifaceted tool (the swiz army knife of the overall service) that included (deep breathe):</p>
<ul>
<li>an online tool to advertise the courses</li>
<li>a payment integration</li>
<li>course management tool</li>
<li>order management</li>
<li>user management</li>
<li>access to all the data</li>
<li>all had to be accessible and compliant</li>
</ul>
<p>I won’t list anymore but you hopefully get the gist and understand it was an very important part of the jigsaw. Internally we have referred to this platform as the <strong>user, course, order content management system</strong> (it rolls of the tongue). Looking around we didn’t have anything in house that could do the above so we again did the business analysis, market analysis, spoke to some great institutions to understand products available. We implemented a Eduframe by Drieam which is used by a few other UK Universities.</p>
<p>Eduframe did come with a WordPress based website however my development colleagues flagged concerns (they have been burned by WordPress a few times). We then looked at Drupal (which is used for the University website) however again it didn’t meet are long list of requirements. So we plonked for developing a<strong> bespoke website using the next,js framework</strong>. That will be its own blog like all the other services discussed in this post but a big thank you to Andrew Millington for all his support and advise to get the website off the ground.</p>
<p><strong>What about data!</strong> We love data so needed to ensure we could access all the data to allow for pretty visuals to be created and large numbers to be shared on professional media channels. Eduframe has as set of APIs that have allowed us to a Power BI App (they have their own app but we love developing stuff), Canvas has in product analytics and Canvas Data 2 and we use GA4 for web analytics. Its alot of data.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><figure id="attachment_560" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-560" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-560" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-300x226.jpg" alt="whiteboard with my brain" width="300" height="226" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-300x226.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-768x578.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-2048x1542.jpg 2048w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/08/PXL_20250205_172952694-1275x960.jpg 1275w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-560" class="wp-caption-text">Data Data Data brain dump on a whiteboard</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>So how do staff access the platform without needing a separate login or going through a long and convoluted process to get access to the platform? We created a <strong>teacher admin app</strong> using the Eduframe APIs that syncs with the central user management system. This allows admins to enable access to the short course platform with the assurance that when staff leave accounts are updated. Staff login using their UoE account so don’t need to find that bit of paper with a password (I am joking…).</p>
<p>So, to summarise the below are the key services that make up the short course platform.</p>
<ul>
<li>Virtual learning environment</li>
<li>User, course, order content management system</li>
<li>Bespoke website using the next,js framework</li>
<li>Data reporting tools</li>
<li>Teacher admin app</li>
</ul>
<p>This list does not cover the payment integrations, the numerous integrations we have with tools in canvas and the numerous workflows required to support courses (book, apply, private, waiting lists etc) but hopefully it provides an overview of the services we have implemented that allow us to successfully support and manage the short course platform at scale.</p>
<p>So on reflection 3 years ago I was blissfully paddle boarding on Loch Ness not knowing what was lurking beneath, bit like the implementation of any new service.<br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2025-08-07" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 7, 2025</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>Failure and me</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/failure-and-me/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/failure-and-me/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Mar 2025 08:43:30 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[service]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=544</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>The past few weeks have reminded me that failure is a part of everything we do. Whether it’s in our professional lives or personal pursuits, from breaking an application to playing a game incorrectly and not winning, failure happens. The term ‘failure’ sounds harsh, but for me, it is about becoming comfortable with it and […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>
<p>The past few weeks have reminded me that failure is a part of everything we do. Whether it’s in our professional lives or personal pursuits, from breaking an application to playing a game incorrectly and not winning, failure happens. The term ‘failure’ sounds harsh, but for me, it is about becoming comfortable with it and ensuring we mitigate its effects.</p>
<p>As we approach the launch of a new platform at the university, it is difficult not to reflect on missed opportunities or things we could have done differently. I need to remind myself that when we started, we didn’t have the wealth of knowledge that we have now, gained over the last 18 months. It’s challenging for me not to get caught up in a “failure spiral,” which can have negative consequences both professionally and personally.</p>
<p>I listen to a few sports podcasts, and a quote by Samuel Beckett came up:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better – Samuel Beckett</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I love this quote! Failure, when rolling out not just one, but five new applications, along with brand new processes, creating a new service, introducing new technology, new workflows, training, understanding the present, planning for the future, onboarding, involvement in boards and steering groups, and dealing with compliance—how can we not fail? Therefore, we need to get comfortable with failure, but try to “fail better” by:</p>
<ol>
<li>Accepting that it has happened, and for me, it’s part of the job. Get comfortable.</li>
<li>Reviewing what happened by getting the facts.</li>
<li>Understanding why it happened, which sometimes involves digging deeper than the facts.</li>
<li>Developing new strategies so we do not fail in the same way again or so we can fail better.</li>
<li>Implementing a process or workflow to help us, which is documented.</li>
<li>Communicating consistently in all the above steps. It’s not easy, but it’s key.</li>
</ol>
<p>Obviously, we want to deliver a service that is perfect, but in my 20 years of working in the tech center, I have yet to find an application that hasn’t changed, that hasn’t been rebranded, or that hasn’t required UI changes, that still is exactly the same as it was when it launched. Look at Apple; they love to tell us it’s perfect, but what they define as “flawed perfection” means it’s constantly changing.</p>
<p>Accepting failure doesn’t mean we sit back with popcorn and watch the “wheels fall off.” Failing better, for me, involves a lot of work to ensure we minimize failure (if possible) and are prepared when it happens (again, sometimes we aren’t, as it could be a new workflow, patch, cyber attack, user requirement, or edge case scenario).</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2025-03-13" itemprop="dateModified">Mar 13, 2025</time>
</span>
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<title>2024: the year of short courses & the edge!</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2024-the-year-of-short-courses-the-edge/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2024-the-year-of-short-courses-the-edge/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:18:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=529</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>This is my reflection on my 2024. It’s for me but you can come along for a few minutes. First reflection, why have I not blogged more this year! Simple answer its been hectic but I feel like I could have reflected on a more regular basis the 12 month journey. Second reflection, what a […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>This is my reflection on my 2024. It’s for me but you can come along for a few minutes.</p>
<p>First reflection, why have I not blogged more this year! Simple answer its been hectic but I feel like I could have reflected on a more regular basis the 12 month journey.</p>
<p>Second reflection, what a year!</p>
<p>By the end of 2023 we signed the contract with Drieam (who support the learner, course and order management platform called <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Feduframe.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cc57c79c049f74fc4222608dd3536802c%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C638725230381480477%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qiL39YC%2B0JyNdVLoKhQQo%2FHuTFRPszgLbUrHKTbRDpQ%3D&reserved=0">eduframe.com</a>) and Instructure (who host the learning platform called Canvas <a href="https://www.instructure.com">https://www.instructure.com</a>) to help us deliver the new Short Course Platform. It had taken 6 months of procurement and legal wrangling to get the contract sorted but in December 2023 it was finally signed. The short course platform will allow the public to browse courses via a web site, create an account, pay (if costed), enrol, learn, maybe get a digital badge and hopefully come back and repeat the process.</p>
<p>The platform aims to emulate a lot of the learnings from the core VLE projects including a consistent user experience, replacing laborious and admin heavy workarounds and having a clear purpose/strategy/vision. It has been a gap in the learning eco-system for a while and we have seen schools/depts bend tools and policies to meet their needs.</p>
<p>Interestingly with the current issues in HE we are starting to see a few other institutions spin up similar platforms. When we started this journey 2 years ago only a few examples existed but with institutions keen to explore additional revenue tracks we have seen similar platforms come online but that’s a different blog.</p>
<p>Like any new service we are starting fresh, which is great! But as soon as we started to update stakeholders and share the news more widely that we had signed a contract then comes the big questions…..when will it be available? Can we use it? How do I use it? Is it compliant? Will the learners like it? What is a learner? Can I show it to my friends? What is a short course?</p>
<p>It can feel like a landslide but I am lucky to work with people who are very supportive, open to ideas and like me love a plan(ner).The service isn’t just one new service, its 4 new platforms, training, guidance, marketing, communication, stakeholder engagement (one off and ongoing), terms of use, legal, compliant handling, data protection, accessibility, reporting (another new service so make that 5), terminology and the list goes on and on.</p>
<p>Spinning up a new service involves working with colleagues inside the department and making sure we are all confident or if not approachable to ask questions. Sounds easy but it’s probably the toughest part, the people who are the face of change need to speak the same language or stakeholders will lose confidence pretty quickly and that can cause tension in teams (who said what, why, when, did they not read the 1000 page memo).</p>
<p>Change agents also need to change. The ability to listen and change what we have thought about, developed or delivered is also key but with the caveat it must be based on facts. I listen to sports podcasts and was really intrigued by a football manager saying the team needed to focus on the team’s core goals (playing good football) and not be driven by the edge (bad passes and mistakes). That edge in service delivery can sometimes be a blocker to progress especially when creating a new service. Evaluating the use case and categorising it is key to understanding impact and priority especially when deadline is involved.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong use cases generated by stakeholders need to be listened to and evaluated but it’s the teams requirement to review and categories. Sometimes its not popular with stakeholders however I am a firm believer that services are never perfect. They evolve as does the requirements, the users (all of them) and the underlying technology. Services deliver to the masses and aim to meet all requirements however I have struggled to work on a service that doesn’t have a wish list or a product development roadmap.</p>
<p>The quicker you get comfortable with the edge the better.</p>
<p>My role in the project is technical lead but I feel more like a troubleshooter and negotiator. I have had to get to grips with 4 new bit of tech (content management system, payment portal, new VLE, a website developed on Next.js, a user provisioning tools) and help design a 5<sup>th</sup> (data reporting tool), negotiate with others use of the tools, design, onboarding for early adopter, project timelines and I am mentally knackered. Thankfully (again) a good team and me being very open about forgetting stuff and asking for reminders or checking my notes (which have merged into teams chats) has helped keep me on track. A technical lead sounds like someone who knows it all and I don’t but that’s ok. My role is offering workflows and options to a problem whilst speaking to the experts to help me map it out. Last Monday I had no clue on GA4 and now we have a plan to debug tags. Last Jan I started to play with APIs of the new platforms and now not a day goes by when I don’t have postman open and I am trying to figure out something.</p>
<p>2024 has been a blast but it’s been difficult. The projects have been challenging and that’s not just the tech. My confidence has taken a bit of a bashing along the way but its not personal. I will look back when we finally go live in May 2025 and think 2024 is the year we made a lot of decisions, I learned a little bit more about me and I am sharing some with you as it may help and remembe0 for any service its not the destination as there is never a destination, its just one big journey.<br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2024-12-23" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 23, 2024</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>Canvas UK & Ireland User Group December 2024</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-uk-ireland-user-group-december-2024/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-uk-ireland-user-group-december-2024/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Dec 2024 17:01:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ai]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[canvas]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sd]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=521</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>A user group is a great way to get the latest product gossip from the supplier and more importantly other institutions. They are great ways to network, get inspiration from peers and generally gauge where we are in the current implementation compared to others (plus free pastries).The Canvas UK & Ireland user group was hosted […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>
<p>A user group is a great way to get the latest product gossip from the supplier and more importantly other institutions. They are great ways to network, get inspiration from peers and generally gauge where we are in the current implementation compared to others (plus free pastries).<br />The Canvas UK & Ireland user group was hosted by Manchester University. The day covered the Canvas roadmap, rubric adoption at medical schools, institutions migrating to canvas from another suppliers, break out sessions on analytics and administration of a VLE and more however there seemed to be one theme that was ever present in sessions, AI.</p>
<p>The first presenter represented FE and discussed how they had developed AI tools based on the Azure Framework (Microsoft) to create assessment feedback for students, assessment feedback summaries for staff and AI assistants to support students. The session highlighted how coding light tools can be developed using existing frameworks, APIs and a lot of engagement with users. The session generated a lot of questions including environmental impact, opt-in/out, academic integrity, quality and assurance of feedback etc. These questions aren’t new but I feel like we have moved from a space where we questioned AI and how it would be included in education to a new space where institutions themselves are developing tools.</p>
<p>With Open AI and the rapid evolution of LLMs suppliers are rushing to squeeze AI into their applications but at what risk? And why? I feel like we are partly to blame as we like new stuff but also want to improve the staff and student experience. It feels like AI might be the new thing that will solve all our problems (did someone saying Learning Analytics…). Like any new tech and especially with LLMs we also need to factor that these cohorts may have a certain level of expectation that AI is integrated into their professional, academic or learning journey. My fear is where should it be integrated and why?</p>
<p><br />New stuff is always fun for me but as someone who works with technology, I also need to consider the why? What is this bringing to the user’s experience? Do we have a gap? Does it improve the users experience? Any repercussions we need to consider? Speaking to design colleagues and stakeholders should drive the change and with AI I don’t know how much of a conversation is happening with users. Don’t get me wrong we need to start somewhere, and basic support bots being used to support users (like <a href="https://information-services.ed.ac.uk/computing/comms-and-collab/elm">ELM</a> or <a href="https://edhelp.ed.ac.uk/">EDHelp</a>) help us grow knowledge and at the same time they practically allow end-users to interact and maybe think about additional functionality they would like to see included in these tools or where they can envision these tools supporting them.</p>
<p>Instructure will be releasing more AI functionality and already have tools like Insights which utilises aspects of AI so:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>‘buckle your seat Dorothy, cause Kanvas is going bye-bye!’ – Cypher, The Matrix.<br /><br /></p>
</blockquote>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2024-12-09" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 9, 2024</time>
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<title>2023 Reflection</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2023-reflection/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/2023-reflection/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Dec 2023 09:46:14 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital badges]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[short course platform]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=497</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 3</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>It has been a while since I sat down with my thoughts. I have been talking about making time to blog and reflect and today is the day! If you’re new here, hello! This will not be an ideological masterpiece or reference books I read related to the role but more a personal reflection for […]]]></description>
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<p>It has been a while since I sat down with my thoughts. I have been talking about making time to blog and reflect and today is the day! If you’re new here, hello! This will not be an ideological masterpiece or reference books I read related to the role but more a personal reflection for me on me, but you can read it (just don’t tell anyone!).</p>
<p>My 2023 will be the year of procurement, digital badges, and supporting the team (bored reading about AI so omitting it until Jan 2024).<br /><br />I have previously blogged about digital badges and how they have emerged from the pit of edu-tech doom and evolved into something that has value for issuers, earners and anyone else who is interested in the recognition of skills, achievements or competencies. I have also talked about replacing standalone credit that equates to nothing in the real world and longer term how institutions will need to offer digital versions of credit as the death of paper accelerates. I get it that people will still want to frame awards etc I just think that may be a minority.<br /><br />The team has done a fantastic job completing a procurement and establishing a service to support a 3-year pilot which we hope will extend with the pending new fun aka the short course platform. In just over 6 months we have issued over 1.5k badges, created and supported a badge governance process, created numerous guides and snazzy webpages, and planned to experiment with badge pathways in 2024. If you are interested have a peek at the webpage: <a href="https://edin.ac/3Waglnj">https://edin.ac/3Waglnj</a> and yes that is a badger wearing a jacket with badges (they are called Bo the badger).</p>
<p><br />I can only see badge popularity and use cases growing however I have concerns regarding the quality of products in the market, cost (platform prices vary vastly) and openness of underlying badge frameworks and portability. With Instructure hoovering up Badgr and now Parchment a big player is making an early move and the wider impact will be interesting to watch.</p>
<p>Procurements are always interesting and when the outcome is a brand new service it’s even more ‘exciting’. At this point I am going to read your mind, are you thinking something along the lines of…</p>
<p>‘Wow Wow, Myles is that a typo!, has the eggnog gone to your head!’ </p>
<p>The answer is no, in a weird and slightly concerning way it’s been fascinating to work with the project team to collaborate, collate, refine and produce a vision with key stakeholders for a new centrally supported platform that will allow the public to view CPD, PPD and any other short courses. pay (if required) and access a dedicated learning platform or be sent any relevant course information. </p>
<p>Ok, in reality, the devil is in the details and creating clear and concise questions that suppliers need to answer is a challenge. Interpreting those answers and scoring them is a bigger challenge especially then the question set is over 100 questions! Then agreeing to scores and feedback is a bigger challenge! It’s like Mortal Combat but without the combat as that would involve HR (however sometimes I think it would have been quicker to just have the combat).</p>
<p>So why did we need to go into the combat ring of procurement? Currently, these types of courses are delivered via numerous platforms, can be an admin burden to support staff, provide an inconsistent and sometimes poor learner experience and may be breaching software licenses (moving on swiftly). To summarise it’s very Edinburgh. everyone is doing something different. So, we proposed a change as we saw a clear gap and after lots of conversations, papers, presentations, and acronym searching we secured support from senior management and a budget from the institution. Instructure and Drieam won the procurement, and I look forward to working with them in 2024.</p>
<p>I manage a small team and also deputize for the section head. I enjoy both and am fortunate to be surrounded by people I respect and enjoy working with each day but this year has taught me to be a human first and a manager second. Work-life balance has always been important to me, especially with a family and growing up in a family where that balance did not exist and witnessing the impact on people’s mental and physical health has always been a valuable lesson to me.</p>
<p>I work hard as Myles Blaney team manager, technical lead, senior service manager, internal consultant, HR rep for the team, information security rep for the section, procurement mediator, badge specialist, and everything else in between. So, I need time to be Myles Blaney gym enthusiast, bike rider, Newcastle United fan, MMA fan, gamer, husband, dad, son, brother, dad taxi, family event planner, and spectator to name a few. I am lucky to have control of my balance due to my supportive manager but I also need to take control of it when I have it and not to quickly check or reply to a ping in teams.</p>
<p>Lastly, AI! It’s here to stay and we are only at the base of the hype curve. I have dabbled this year with Karen into what other institutions are doing and it’s another blog I will post in Jan 2024. Exciting and terrifying at the same time but not new just quicker, faster and better.</p>
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<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2023-12-21" itemprop="dateModified">Dec 21, 2023</time>
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<title>Canvas Credentials: the new open digital badge platform</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-credentials-the-new-open-digital-badge-platform/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/canvas-credentials-the-new-open-digital-badge-platform/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 30 Mar 2023 08:32:31 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital badges]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[instructure]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=482</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 2</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>Finally after months of scoring procurement questions, analysing costs and negotiation I am pleased to announce that we will be providing open digital badges via Canvas Credentials (formally called Badgr).This is the start of a 3 year pilot to understand the value of digital badges for all stakeholders. Obviously for the earners aka the people […]]]></description>
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<p>Finally after months of scoring procurement questions, analysing costs and negotiation I am pleased to announce that we will be providing open digital badges via Canvas Credentials (formally called Badgr).<br /><br />This is the start of a 3 year pilot to understand the value of digital badges for all stakeholders. Obviously for the earners aka the people awarded a badge(s), will it help motivate them? will they share it on digital CVs or social media? will they even click on the email and accept the badge? what about employability? how do they value a digital badge?<br /><br />How about issuers aka the schools that award the badge, is the platform easy to use? does it allow them the flexibility to develop and deliver standalone and badges which are interlinked (like a pathway)? what about resource for managing all things badges? and why bother with badges?<br /><br />Hang on, what about IS (we are people too), how does it affect us as issuer, earners and support? So all of the above plus is the platform robust? does it provide what the issuers and earners need? how will the service grow? will be see a badge bonanza or the butchering of badges?<br /><br />Whatever will happen the next few years will allow us to pilot and review the premium version of canvas credentials. For clarification when I say premium I mean paid for aka we get extra bits and bobs like:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lots of Analytics: data, data, data</li>
<li>Organisation Management: aka one admin to rule them all! </li>
<li>Ability to add skills to a badge: I got skills their multiplying!</li>
<li>Ability to add custom fields to a badge: starting to panic about how this could be used!</li>
<li>Pathways: interlinked badges journeys</li>
</ul>
<p>Sounds pretty cool! Pathways are probably the ‘funnest’ (not a word but you know what I mean) premium tool which will allow schools or departments to create open stackable badges or paths (basic, intermediate, high ) to a higher level of achievement (Expert). These can include internal or external open badges so in theory could involve external bodies (e.g. companies, other institutions) and users can track their own progress! (take a breathe!).</p>
<p>And what have we decided to call the new open digital badge pilot/service……(drum roll)……BadgEd! (we got the word badge, we are the University of Edinburgh and we love incorporating Ed into stuff). </p>
<p>Sounds like a busy few years? You interested in finding out some more information? Ain’t you lucky we created this website where you can find out some more information on the <a href="https://edin.ac/40QRuX3">BadgEd webpages.</a></p>
<p><br />Finally this wouldn’t be possible without all the hard work of colleagues who have been exceptional (as usual) to help get from an idea to a live pilot (so thanks goes to Delia, Tracey, Nikki, Karen, Fiona and Ellen). Let the hard (fun) work begin….<br /><br /></p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2023-03-30" itemprop="dateModified">Mar 30, 2023</time>
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<title>Digital Badges, not just a pretty picture</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/digital-badges-not-just-a-pretty-picture/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/digital-badges-not-just-a-pretty-picture/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2022 15:48:03 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital badges]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=455</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>Digital badges are back! They never went away I hear you say and yes? Of course not but we did enter an odd phase were badges were being issued for anything or everything (I like to refer to this era as the ‘Oprah Winfrey’ era). So we all got badges and the value of a […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>Digital badges are back! They never went away I hear you say and yes? Of course not but we did enter an odd phase were badges were being issued for anything or everything (I like to refer to this era as the ‘Oprah Winfrey’ era).</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium aligncenter" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7ZeQBhbVGnELP4bK/giphy.gif" alt="you get a gif" width="480" height="326" /></p>
<p>So we all got badges and the value of a badge declined plus how could we validate the badge, where do we put the badges to promote ourselves? So the badge hype slowly dwindled to some hardcore fans who issued badges sporadically. Badge strategies were forgotten and images of badges were added to email signatures with no ability to validate someones claim to be an Google Cloud wizard. I should also state that the frustration with badges also may be related to lack of platforms to develop and issue plus the limited options for styling, metadata and a space for an earner to host (yes Mozilla backpack was available however if you used it then you would understand it had issues).</p>
<p>I personally worked with badges via Blackboard learn a few years ago and we had some great use cases but the value of badges was not recognized by external institutions or private companies.</p>
<p>Fast forward a few years and the digital badge ecosystem has evolved. IMS open badge standards have been widely adopted by numerous suppliers, the options for badge creation & management is also diverse with open, free and paid for services available and most importantly the understanding that to maintain value for digital badges institution needs to have a strategy for badge creation.</p>
<p>The value aspect is key, speaking to other institutions in the UK and US they have stressed how value can only be maintained by guidance and governance. Guidance ensures standardization of the visual, the metadata and criteria for awarding. The visual is key and in most cases badge consumers (someone who sees a badge on a host platform aka linkedin, personal web page, email signature) will only see a small thumbnail of the image so keeping it clean and not going full Picasso is key. To get around the visual issue the creation of a style guide and a badge template helps subdue any hidden artistic desires.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium aligncenter" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l4tV5VQbNScIikY4o/giphy.gif" alt="picasso art" width="480" height="480" /></p>
<p>Metadata is key, its the data/information that provides the context for the badge and includes fields like description, competencies, achievements, award criteria, expiration and the ability for consumers to check validation! Yes, if you have shared a badge I can check if your a world of war craft level 6 orc from the dune sea by clicking on the validate button.</p>
<p>Governance allows users to request a badge and for it to be reviewed by badge champions to ensure we do not create 100 badges for the same thing, ensure badge value is maintained (aka we don’t hurtle back to the Oprah era, PS you get a badge for reading this far!) and badge visuals are maintained (we want the University of Edinburgh badge experience to follow established design guidelines and best practices) . I would stress that governance is a mix of academic and service staff all with a vested interest in the success of digital badges.</p>
<p>So we have a process and some standards so what do we issue badges for? As highlighted earlier they have been issued for everything and we are keen to avoid those dark days. Badges have a place for recognition of extra curricula or non-curricula skills, competencies or achievements that may not be recognized via other awards or even at all. Badges can be used to level up the softer skills that are core to user development or simply recognize the skills, competencies or achievements a user has gained. Badges spans the digital ecosystem and user base and could be issued on a MOOC platform to a user completing the book MOOC or to a member of staff for competing the Information security training.</p>
<p>So I gained a badge what next? How about recommendations for associated badges which can build upon your skills, achievements or competencies gained via a previous badge. Or the ability to share on a host platform (go on be that LinkedIn boaster who announces everything they are doing to the world) or it can be kept private. Even better imagine having a space that is yours for life and doesn’t need you to be registered at the university, your account, your personal email address your in control. Or don’t claim the badge its all up to the earner (They have the power!)</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/yhK4PWI9WJ0c/giphy.gif" alt="i have the power" width="320" height="240" /></p>
<p>The good news is that this service will be launching in the academic year 2022-23 and the team will share more thoughts once we pick a platform. The last thing I wanted to share is that whilst we are focusing on non-credit extra/non-curricula skills, achievements and competencies we are starting to hear institution considering issuing badges for UG and PG degree awards which kinda makes sense. Question if you have a degree what do you have to show your awesome achievement? and more importantly where is it? Personally I got a paper certificate and it sits in a cupboard with all my life admin things. Its not visible, its not verifiable and its on a bit of paper which isn’t great for the environment. A digital badge is verifiable and can be shared on numerous professional and/or personal platforms plus no trees were cut down to produce it. Sure the award ceremony might be slightly different however I have a feeling that the digital badge will be more useful to graduates.</p>
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<time datetime="2022-08-09" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 9, 2022</time><br />
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<title>My Hybrid Reflections (not yours!)</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/my-hybrid-reflections-not-yours/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/my-hybrid-reflections-not-yours/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[mblaney]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2021 09:52:18 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[hybrid]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/mylesblaney/?p=421</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>19 months ago the thought of me staying at home for 23hrs for months would have terrified me, however we got out routine sorted which helped a lot, this included Joe Wicks 0900, BoJo presser at 1700 (do this but don’t do this), becoming at P2 teacher 1330-1600 (elbow pads in the post), family walk […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<span class="span-reading-time rt-reading-time" style="display: block;"><span class="rt-label rt-prefix">Reading Time: </span> <span class="rt-time"> 4</span> <span class="rt-label rt-postfix">minutes</span></span>
<p>19 months ago the thought of me staying at home for 23hrs for months would have terrified me, however we got out routine sorted which helped a lot, this included Joe Wicks 0900, BoJo presser at 1700 (do this but don’t do this), becoming at P2 teacher 1330-1600 (elbow pads in the post), family walk on the golf course 1600-1700. Throughout that period my working arrangements shifted from room to room as my setup evolved into a desk in my spare bedroom with a large screen and laptop. I have also blogged about the transitions if your interested in the detail but now I am now a hybrid worker.</p>
<p>Hybrid, what’s that? Well it’s kinda like a bit of office working and a bit of home working and for my working situation it makes a lot of common sense. Why does it work for me? The flexibility is something I have craved for years. I worked at home 1 day a week for 13 years, it allowed me to focus on documentation (if you have had the pleasure of working with me you know I love a good process document and making things transparent for anyone involved, who wouldn’t, share the fun), building servers remotely and other individual tasks with maybe the odd phone call to ask people to press a button on campus. Over the 13 years technology has evolved from email, messenger, skype for business (once you got it working) and now teams or Zoom. </p>
<p>Technology evolves and whilst we adapt it seamlessly into our non-working lives, with some of us actively promoting it for work, are 9-5 environment has stagnated due to numerous factors that include open spaces and noise, users unfamiliarity with the technology (e.g. can you hear me, I have poor Wi-Fi. Cat face – to name a few common issues), the technology being regarded as secondary, peoples personal or meeting room hardware setups (some people have vanity lights some people have 3 laptops perched on encyclopaedias). With the tech evolving we can now do remote tasks which now include group work (ability to host or join online meetings), group text chat, drop-ins to chat, share a screen and work through shared documents or issues. </p>
<p>So the technology has evolved (braw!) however the office space hasn’t however what is the office meant to be? I have blogged that people are the campus and they! This has been clearly shown over the numerous lockdowns but as a red brick university the campus is the shop floor for the bulk of roles. IS touch numerous points of campus life (on and remote) and we have shown we can work in extreme circumstances however personally for me I prefer a hybrid work space, which is ultimately a flexible work space.</p>
<p>Home working is great, no trains, no flesh market close steps, no expensive sandwich or coffee shops, work in leisure clothes (bought my first pair of tracksuit bottoms 6 months ago….), no running to meetings basically a lot of good points,. I love my house however I like coming back to it (bit like when you walk in the door post-holiday after sharing a confined space with the hobbits) and I am a strong believer in work life balance. Now for me what work life balance means is ‘give and take’ aka flexibility, managing time/resource, honestly. It may sound preachy but having a young family has taught me to enjoy the time and separate work (like the LTW no comms after 6 policy). I know people who find this impossible and to be honest it freaks me out but it’s their decision. </p>
<p>Working in the office 2 days gives me a bit of separation and allows me to plan 2 different days however I don’t plan them any different and for the foreseeable wont. I come in and work, catch up with folks, meet online or in-person and go home. Currently 2 days is enough and not due to COVID concerns but due to the change in routine (which I am over) and the office feeling different. The space feels subdued and when I come in it’s like a Saturday. It’s quiet for a time however co-ordinating days when others (usually Karen or Nikki) are in helps prioritise tasks for those days, allows us to bounce ideas around (scheduling collaboration and spontaneity on Teams is difficult) and lets me see other people J which I miss. Some of the people I get to work with or share an office with are worth the train fare alone to cheer me up. The human side of work and the office has been something I have blogged about before and it’s one of the reasons why I enjoy my job.</p>
<p>So let’s be honest about the office, desk layout isn’t the best for online meetings and mics pick up other conversations pretty quickly. Meeting rooms are quiet but rely heavily on tech working and the building not being full (booking a room prior to COVID was like a playing a game in Squid Games – somebody would die!). If we are to adopt hybrid shared desk arrangements, thinning of the space would help. The creation of more social sitting and printer booth breakout spaces would help the space however my big thing is the noise. We probably need to admit that for a truly hybrid space the open spaces will need to be a bit more nosier due to online meetings held at desk, more collaboration spaces in teams local environments (again noisy) and the acceptance that the office should be a collaboration space and not just a undefined space with a desk with your stuff on it. Making it a collaboration friendly space helps hybrid workers however like we have all gone through over the past months it would require a change and physical office space changes are probably the most difficult to accept.</p>
<p>So hybrid for me works, the tech now allows us the flexibility, management now understand having being entrenched in it during lockdowns but (always a but) the office isn’t configured to support it…yet. My experience of coming into the office isn’t negative however it could be better which I will be feeding back.</p>
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<time datetime="2021-11-16" itemprop="dateModified">Nov 16, 2021</time>
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<title>Separating Legend from Legacy: Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/separating-legend-from-legacy/</link>
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<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ewan McAndrew]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Oct 2025 17:27:42 +0000</pubDate>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=485</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This post is the second written by LLB student Dervla Craig who has worked as our Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer researching and preparing a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid to preserve, and raise public engagement with, the accused witches of Scotland as an important part of Scotland’s heritage. As I sit to […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>This post is the second written by LLB student Dervla Craig who has worked as our Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer researching and preparing a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid to preserve, and raise public engagement with, the accused witches of Scotland as an important part of Scotland’s heritage.</strong></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">As I sit to write this blog post, my twelve-week internship is rapidly drawing to a close. How the time has flown! I have learned and achieved so much this summer, and it seems only appropriate that I reflect on and share what this experience has taught me through another blog post. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Since my first blog (</span><a href="https://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/preserving-scottish-heritage/"><span data-contrast="none">Preserving Scottish Heritage: The Accused Witches of Scotland</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">), my research and bid-writing have taken me down many different avenues. The more familiar I became with the past, however, the more questions arose about the present. Why is there still no appropriate memorial to the accused in Edinburgh? Does stigma still exist surrounding these persecuted individuals? How can we at the University best preserve and promote the individual stories of the accused and make sure they are not forgotten to history? Exploring these questions was extremely important for me in ensuring that I understood the context in which the bid lives and the landscape we would be entering with this project. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">In my search for answers to these questions, two main areas stuck out to me as requiring more work and attention to make sure the real, human stories of those accused of witchcraft are protected and valued now and into the future: increasing awareness, education, and understanding of the Scottish witch trials, and appropriately memorialising the victims who were accused, tortured and executed. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_1634" style="width: 639px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches-and-Witchcraft.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1634" class="size-large wp-image-1634" src="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches-and-Witchcraft-941x1024.jpg" alt="Information board about "Witches and Witchcraft" at the National Museum of Scotland. Pic by Ewan McAndrew, CC-BY-SA" width="629" height="684" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-1634" class="wp-caption-text">Information board about “Witches and Witchcraft” at the National Museum of Scotland. Pic by Ewan McAndrew, CC-BY-SA</p></div>
<h2><b><span data-contrast="auto">Education on the Scottish Witch Trials</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h2>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My line manager, Ewan McAndrew, and I have spent the last few weeks consulting with various organisations in an effort to realise the full potential of our bid. One area we explored was how we at the University, as a teaching and learning institution, could help facilitate education on the Scottish witch trials and use our accused witches’ dataset to combat negative perceptions of the accused exacerbated by entertainment-driven media portrayals. I researched the </span><a href="https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/curriculum-in-scotland/"><span data-contrast="none">Curriculum in Scotland </span></a><span data-contrast="auto">for secondary schools and was surprised to find that whilst adjacent topics such as King James VI and the Protestant Reformation are covered in detail, the witch trials themselves are largely overlooked. We also spoke with Jo Spiller and Judy Robertson from the University about their work on data education in schools and how our dataset could be a valuable resource. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">A huge opportunity for progress in this area came in week eight, when we visited the National Museum of Scotland to meet with Anna Groundwater, the Principal Curator of Renaissance and Early Modern History, Scottish History and Archaeology. She showed us the current witchcraft exhibit, which has remained unchanged for the twenty-seven years it has been on display, and discussed what updates could be made to accurately reflect the research that has taken place in the years since and modern attitudes towards the study of witchcraft and the witch trials. We also had a great conversation about promoting education on this dark period of Scottish history and how we can engage a wider audience with this heritage. This was my first professional meeting, and I am happy to report that it went very well. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":279}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_1635" style="width: 639px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches_Well.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1635" class="size-large wp-image-1635" src="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches_Well-1024x549.jpg" alt="Inscription plaque at the Witches Well memorial on Castlehill, Edinburgh. " width="629" height="337" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-1635" class="wp-caption-text">Inscription plaque at the Witches Well memorial on Castlehill, Edinburgh. Pic by (Lila), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons</p></div>
<h2><b><span data-contrast="auto">The issue of memorialisation</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h2>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">For centuries after the Scottish witch trials, sympathy for the accused was often seen as sympathy for the Devil and as such, there was not much research into the lives of those who were charged with the crime of witchcraft. Whilst modern attitudes have shifted to a more empathetic approach, the issue of memorialisation is still one of great controversy. </span><span data-contrast="none">The only memorial which stands in Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witches%27_Well,_Edinburgh">Witches’ Well</a> on Castle Hill, which is hidden away and has a problematic inscription that has been criticised for its historical inaccuracy and contention that while ‘<em>some used their exceptional knowledge for evil purposes while others were misunderstood and wished their kind nothing but good</em>‘. This assumption that those accused did indeed have supernatural abilities and that the brutality of the Scottish witch hunts was in any way justifiable is extremely harmful to the memory of the innocent people (85% of whom were women) that possessed no such powers but who were tortured and executed for being ‘witches’. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">The <a href="https://www.witchesofscotland.com/">Witches of Scotland</a> campaign group have long been advocating for a national memorial to the accused which would honour the victims in an appropriate way, and have even created a new, highly symbolic </span><a href="https://www.witchesofscotland.com/tartan"><span data-contrast="none">Tartan </span></a><span data-contrast="none"> pattern to honour the victims and act as a living memorial to them. (They also released a </span><a href="https://www.witchesofscotland.com/book"><span data-contrast="none">Book</span></a><span data-contrast="none"> called </span><i><span data-contrast="none">How to Kill a Witch: A Guide to the Patriarchy </span></i><span data-contrast="none">which is a brilliant read and mentions the University’s </span><a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/"><span data-contrast="none">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> – I highly recommend putting it at the top of your reading list). In our consultations with various organisations, the issue of appropriately memorialising the accused was one which was met with much interest and enthusiasm, and it seems that a place to go and pay our solemn respects to those whose lives were unjustly taken is something that would largely be supported and welcomed in Edinburgh.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><b><span data-contrast="auto">Final Thoughts</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Although there is much more work to be done in ensuring that the stories of the individuals who were accused of witchcraft are understood and remembered with accuracy and empathy, an appetite undoubtably exists for promoting these stories and memorialising these individuals in an appropriate and meaningful way. It is within this context that we will be submitting our bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund with the aim of establishing an open license, publicly accessible resource containing all known information on Scotland’s accused witches that can be used by researchers, historians, authors, artists, teachers, students and so many other groups to support work in and beyond the education and heritage sectors. Alongside this, we plan to run a programme of public engagement events to facilitate the public’s active participation with the data and stories of the accused. Further than simply historical education, we will encourage cultural reflection on themes such as women’s rights and the scapegoating of marginalised groups that permeate not just our past, but also our present. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":279}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">There is much we as a society can learn from this dark period of Scottish history, and I am hopeful that our bid, if successful, will support future research and work on the Scottish witch trials and bring awareness to the real stories behind the 3837 Scottish people, mostly women, who were accused of and in many cases executed for crimes they simply did not commit. I have been greatly moved by not just the deaths, but the lives of these individuals and am so grateful to have played a role this summer in preserving their memory for generations to come. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_1636" style="width: 639px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Woodcut.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1636" class="size-large wp-image-1636" src="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Woodcut-1024x747.jpg" alt="Woodcut from the Newes of Scotland pamphlet depicting suspected witches from North Berwick as they are threatened with a beating as they appear before two Scottish magistrates." width="629" height="459" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-1636" class="wp-caption-text">Woodcut on display at the National Museum of Scotland from the Newes of Scotland pamphlet depicting suspected witches from North Berwick as they are threatened with a beating as they appear before two Scottish magistrates. Pic by Ewan McAndrew, CC-BY-SA</p></div>
<p><strong>NB: Dervla has done so well over the last twelve weeks that she is continuing in post (part-time) during her studies this year.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ps. You can catch the Edinburgh Book festival talk, <a href="https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/claire-mitchell-and-zoe-venditozzi-women-not-witches"><em>Women not Witches</em>,</a> by Claire and Zoe of the Witches of Scotland at the Book Festival website.</strong></p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2025-10-07" itemprop="dateModified">Oct 7, 2025</time>
</span>
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<item>
<title>Preserving Scottish Heritage: The Accused Witches of Scotland</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/preserving-scottish-heritage-the-accused-witches-of-scotland/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/preserving-scottish-heritage-the-accused-witches-of-scotland/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ewan McAndrew]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 18:23:19 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Internship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[access]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[accessibility]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[data science]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[data skills]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dervla craig]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dsdt-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dsdtfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[emma carroll]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[heritage]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[history]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[inclusion]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[julian goodare]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[national lottery]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[open access]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[wikipedia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[witch trials]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witchcraft]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=471</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This post was written by LLB student Dervla Craig on her first month as Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer. My name is Dervla and I am going into my second year of the Graduate LLB at the University of Edinburgh. This summer I am doing a 12-week internship with the University’s Information Services […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>This post was written by LLB student Dervla Craig on her first month as Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer.</strong></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My name is Dervla and I am going into my second year of the Graduate LLB at the University of Edinburgh. This summer I am doing a 12-week internship with the University’s <a href="https://information-services.ed.ac.uk/">Information Services Group (ISG)</a> on one of the most fascinating projects I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of: <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">the Accused Witches of Scotland project</a>.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">I am one of a long line of interns who has been involved in this project each year since 2019, which aims to commemorate and spread awareness about those who were persecuted as witches in Scotland during the 16th to 18th centuries. While previous interns have primarily been focused on processing and importing data from the University’s landmark </span><a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/faq/"><span data-contrast="none">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> database (2003) into <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Scotland%27s_Accused_Witches">Wikidata</a> and created our </span><a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/"><span data-contrast="none">witches</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> website with new map and timeline visualisations, this year my role looks a bit different.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My remit for the 12 weeks is to prepare a bid to the <a href="https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/">National Lottery Heritage Fund</a> to secure funding for what we hope can be the next phase of the project. Our goal is to preserve the accused witches’ data in the long-term and ensure that people can connect with and participate in this heritage now and in the future. As it has come to the end of my first month, I wanted to join the tradition of blogging about my internship experience so far.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h3><span data-contrast="none">Getting to know the individual stories of the accused</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My first week was spent diving down the rabbit hole to explore all there is to learn about the Scottish witch trials. If you had asked me to describe an accused witch before this week, I would’ve told you they wore a pointy hat and flew around on a broomstick. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Now when I picture these women, they look like my mother, or my grandmother, or me. They were ordinary people who suffered an egregious injustice, and I was extremely moved when learning about their stories.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">Some of the most valuable tools for my research included </span><a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/faq/"><span data-contrast="none">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, created by Julian Goodare, a history professor at the University of Edinburgh, and his team in the late 90’s, and the <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">interactive </a></span><span data-contrast="none">witches</span><span data-contrast="auto"> map resource created by Emma Carroll, a geography student and our former Data Visualisation intern, and our late developer colleague Richard Lawson in September 2019. The Survey made use of the historic records of all the accused witches in Scotland between 1563 – 1736 and organised the details into a MS Access 1997 database, and our new 2019 map brings this data to life in a new and engaging way through importing the data into Wikipedia’s sister project, Wikidata, as linked open machine-readable data.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Learning about the great work that has been done previously definitely made me realise I have a lot to live up to but also motivated me to give it my all in the next twelve weeks and hopefully produce an end result that meets the standards of my predecessors.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h3><span data-contrast="none">Writing a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The next thing to familiarise myself with before I could dive into my writing was the bid itself. I spent a few days combing through the NLHF website to understand what it is they are looking for and how our project fits those needs. By getting to know my audience, I could ensure that my writing was intriguing, evidence-based and persuasive. I quickly found out that before submitting the 10,000-word application, I must submit a 1000-word ‘Expression of Interest’. This EoI asks questions about the heritage of the project, what our project aims to achieve, and why it is needed now. At this point, I felt I could write a dissertation for each of these questions, so the tight word count was my biggest enemy. I had lots of help from some lovely colleagues who offered their feedback and advice, including the Project Director of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, Professor Julian Goodare. After many tweaks and a few redrafts, I am happy to say at the end of week four that the EoI is pretty much ready to go.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h3><span data-contrast="none">Exploring avenues for community engagement</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Alongside writing, writing and more writing, I have also been brainstorming ideas for the community engagement side of our project. There have been so many great ideas by the team which have led to interesting and helpful discussions with different people and organisations, including the National Museum of Scotland, Reforesting Scotland, and some really talented artists. Excitingly, most of the responses we have received have been positive and enthusiastic. In the upcoming weeks, I hope to visit some of these places and see firsthand the primary sources from the witch trials.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h4><span data-contrast="none">Workshops and all-staff events</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h4>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Another educational and fun aspect of my experience so far, outside of my bid writing role, has been the plethora of events hosted by ISG. In the past month I have taken part in ‘intern welcome’ socials, Wikipedia writing workshops and even a workshop on an introduction to blogging! Alongside these, I have also attended two all-staff events, one for all Information Services Group (ISG) staff and one for the Learning, Teaching and Web (LTW) division. Not only have I learned so much about the behind-the-scenes and the people who have made my studies possible for the past five years, but these events have also been an opportunity to get to know more of my colleagues and socialise with other interns. At ISG there is a strong emphasis on having a healthy work-life balance and making sure that you and those around you have what you need to produce your best work.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_473" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-473" class="size-medium wp-image-473" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2025/07/Window-300x234.png" alt="View of Edinburgh Castle from Floor K, Argyle House." width="300" height="234" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2025/07/Window-300x234.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2025/07/Window.png 363w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-473" class="wp-caption-text">View of Edinburgh Castle from Floor K, Argyle House. CC-BY-SA by Dervla Craig.</p></div>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">In conclusion, I have had an amazing first month as an intern with the University of Edinburgh. I have learned a lot, met new people, and pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. Plus the amazing view of Edinburgh Castle from Floor K has been a real motivator to work from the office and not from home! I am nothing but hopeful that the next eight weeks will be even more exciting and productive, and that I can blog again soon with positive updates!</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">P.S. If you haven’t already, definitely visit <a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</a> and the <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">Map of Accused Witches in Scotland</a> websites! They are both amazing (and important) educational resources that I could browse for hours (and have).</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
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<time datetime="2025-07-11" itemprop="dateModified">Jul 11, 2025</time>
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<title>The Final Countdown: New Features and Nuxt 3 Upgrade</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/the-final-countdown/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/the-final-countdown/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:03:55 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikimania]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=455</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Since I last wrote after I returned from Wikimania, I have been working on getting version 2.0 of the website up to scratch! The new version of the website is set to launch this October, which meant there was a lot to get done before then.Firstly, the website framework was due for an upgrade from […]]]></description>
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<p>Since I last wrote after I returned from Wikimania, I have been working on getting version 2.0 of the website up to scratch! The new version of the website is set to launch this October, which meant there was a lot to get done before then.<br />Firstly, the website framework was due for an upgrade from Nuxt 2 to Nuxt 3. Nuxt is a javascript web development framework based on Vue.js, designed to make it easier to build fast and dynamic websites by handling much of the configuration and setup for developers. This upgrade was crucial for the website’s longevity and security, making it a top priority. This was something I had never done before, so I was a bit apprehensive. This did end up being quite a long challenging task as lots of the packages used in the website were not compatible with Nuxt 3 meaning I had to do quite a lot of problem solving and research to find new packages which could provide the same functionality and have a similar user interface. I learnt a lot from this process and had to be quite patient because at times I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get everything working, – for example the clustering of markers on the map – but after lots of trial and error and research I found a solution and felt proud of myself.</p>
<p><br />We also worked on some exciting new pages:</p>
<p><br /><strong>Map of Memorials & Sites of Interest:</strong> This is an interactive map showcasing memorials across Scotland dedicated to those who suffered during the witch trials, along with other sites of interest such as execution sites, prisons, meeting places, and museums with witchcraft displays. The purpose of this map is to document how the witch trials have been memorialised over time, and increasingly in recent years, and to provide people interested in the Scottish witch trials with locations they can visit.</p>
<p><br />This project involved an initial research period carried out by Ewan McAndrew, Ellie Whitehead and myself. We sought to identify memorial locations to include by reading books, searching the internet, and having discussions with Professor Julian Goodare. During these discussions, it became clear that several monuments are not based on actual historical events. For example, the Maggie Wall monument in Dunning—there is no evidence that Maggie Wall existed or was executed as a witch. However, we still found locations like this of interest in understanding how stories of witchcraft have been passed down through generations.</p>
<p><br />To differentiate between various types of sites, we created three categories: memorials, sites of interest, and tourist attractions. This allowed us to classify each location appropriately. After the research stage, we created Wikidata items for each location, adding any available images from Wikimedia Commons, coordinate locations, links to external websites, and street addresses. This data was then used to query and display these locations on a new webpage, where they are plotted on a map. <br />To provide further information to users, Ellie Whitehead wrote descriptions for each location in the database, explaining how the site is connected to the Scottish Witch Trials and addressing any misconceptions about historic fact vs folklore.<br /><br />Once we had collated all the information needed and created all Wikidata items I developed the website page and Stewart Cromar created new icons from the same woodcut of the North Berwick witches that the original icons are from.<br /><br /></p>
<div id="attachment_458" style="width: 321px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-458" class=" wp-image-458" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/intro-300x241.jpg" alt="North Berwick Witches Woodcut- Newes from Scotland" width="311" height="250" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/intro-300x241.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/intro.jpg 747w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 311px) 100vw, 311px" /><p id="caption-attachment-458" class="wp-caption-text">North Berwick Witches Woodcut – Newes from Scotland</p></div>
<p><br />This was a particularly rewarding page to create, as it involved multiple stages, including research, brainstorming ideas, designing the interface, and development. The result is a page I believe users will love, and that I feel proud of, as I believe it helps represents how the injustice of the Scottish Witch Trials has been commemorated across Scotland.</p>
<div id="attachment_459" style="width: 484px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-459" class=" wp-image-459" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-300x136.png" alt="Current Design of Memorials Page" width="474" height="215" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-300x136.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-1024x463.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-768x347.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-1536x694.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-1440x651.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page.png 1917w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" /><p id="caption-attachment-459" class="wp-caption-text">Memorials Page</p></div>
<p><br /><strong>Further Reading:</strong> A list of books, journals, and articles recommended by Professor Julian Goodare (director of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft) and Ellie Whitehead for those who wanted to learn more about the Scottish witch trials. Links are provided on where they can be accessed.</p>
<p><br /><strong>Glossary:</strong> A glossary containing terms used across the website, along with their meanings, was created to help users understand specialized vocabulary, as the filter lists may include terms that are not commonly known. We wanted users to have an easy way to discover the contextual meanings to get the most out of the website. Ellie Whitehead used the glossary from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft as a base, then added any additional terms from the filters that might not have an obvious meaning. After she compiled the list of terms and definitions, I created the web page. We decided it would be helpful if the list could be sorted either alphabetically or by category, making it easier for users to find terms.</p>
<div id="attachment_460" style="width: 445px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460" class=" wp-image-460" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-300x133.png" alt="Glossary Page" width="435" height="193" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-300x133.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-1024x455.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-768x341.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-1536x682.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-1440x640.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary.png 1916w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 435px) 100vw, 435px" /><p id="caption-attachment-460" class="wp-caption-text">Glossary Page</p></div>
<p><br /><strong>Introduction to Scottish Witchcraft:</strong> A page offering contextual information on the Scottish witchcraft trials to help users understand the historical background and significance of these events. We decided to include a video of Professor Julian Goodare for users who find it easier to learn from video content or those looking for more information, and who better to learn from than the creator of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft himself!<br />Initially, we planned to create a short, 5-minute general introduction to Scottish witchcraft. However, but given Julian’s incredible wealth of knowledge, we asked him additional questions we thought people would be most interested in, resulting in more videos about the Scottish Witch Trials and the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft to add to the website.<br />We recorded these videos in the University of Edinburgh’s Media Studio at Argyle House. I thoroughly enjoyed using this space, as it allowed us to create professional-quality videos. The studio is fully equipped with tools like a teleprompter, TV backdrop, light boxes, a microphone, and, of course, a camera.</p>
<div id="attachment_461" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-461" class=" wp-image-461" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-300x135.jpeg" alt="Media Studio" width="400" height="180" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-300x135.jpeg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-1024x461.jpeg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-768x346.jpeg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-1536x692.jpeg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-1440x649.jpeg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media.jpeg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /><p id="caption-attachment-461" class="wp-caption-text">Media Studio</p></div>
<p><br />Currently these new pages and upgrade are getting reviewed by web developer Andrew Millington before getting deployed to the site in order to make sure that the code is maintainable, working as intended, and a user friendly interface. Once these have been reviewed and all issues that come up resolved then the website will be ready for it’s version 2 launch!! <span data-teams="true"><span class="ui-provider a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">I’m really excited for this to go live so everyone can see all the work mentioned (above) that I’ve been working on for the last year and all the previous interns’ work too!</span></span></p>
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<time datetime="2024-10-03" itemprop="dateModified">Oct 3, 2024</time>
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<title>Wikimania 2024: A Conference of Collaboration, Learning and Culture</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 Aug 2024 09:34:24 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Conference]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikimania]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=424</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ On July 15th I returned as ‘Witchfinder General’ – Data Visualisation Intern for another 3 months of working on the Map of Scottish Accused Witches of Project. We are now 4 weeks in and I have lots to share.I went to my first ever conference – Wikimania! Wikimania is an annual conference hosted by […]]]></description>
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<p>On July 15th I returned as ‘Witchfinder General’ – Data Visualisation Intern for another 3 months of working on the Map of Scottish Accused Witches of Project. We are now 4 weeks in and I have lots to share.<br /><br />I went to my first ever conference – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikimania">Wikimania</a>! Wikimania is an annual conference hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, including presentations and discussions on Wikimedia projects such as Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons. This year it was held in Katowice, Poland. I went with my manager Ewan McAndrew to give a presentation on Student engagement with openness. Ewan spoke about examples of all the Wikimedia related student projects he has run at the University of Edinburgh and then I spoke about the work we have done on this project.<br /><br /><a href="https://wikimania.eventyay.com/2024/talk/FALUVE/">Find out more about our presentation here!</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/wLgxZTcjhjY?si=POQvnW26tqevogTD&t=7920">Watch the presentation here.</a> <br /><br />Before going, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the conference. In my mind, a conference seemed like a very formal event, which I thought might make me feel a bit out of place. However, as soon as I arrived, I found a relaxed and open atmosphere with a diverse group of people. From volunteers to software developers, people who work for the Wikimedia Foundation to those who edit Wikipedia in their free time, there was a wide range of interests, passions, careers, ages, and nationalities present. This diversity created a warm and accepting environment that made open discussion comfortable. I was initially apprehensive about my presentation, as public speaking is something that scares me a little, but that made the achievement feel even greater.<br /><br />Along with giving the presentation I also got to attend lots of interesting talks and panel discussions. These covered lots of topics including the future of AI within the Wikipedia movement, facing the gender imbalance on Wikipedia, open data and the climate crisis, Wikipedia in education and even more. I think the standout for me was some of the AI discussions, thinking about how the Wikimedia movement could use AI but also the risks that would come along with them. Each session was really interesting and eye opening and great to hear views from people from all over the world. Throughout the conference I got to hear about all the different work that goes on in the Wikimedia movement.</p>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/wikimania_katowice_2024_-_opening_ceremony_wikimedian_of_the_year_awards_32/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="200" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Marching Band at Wikimania Opening Ceremony" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/1024px-wikimania_katowice_2024_ksp_005/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="200" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Wikimania Entrance" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="201" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-300x201.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Wikimania Opening Ceremony" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-300x201.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-768x513.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544.jpg 1306w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6316/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Pottery Painting at Wikimania" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6326/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Traditional Polish Choir" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6565/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Lighting Talk at Wikimania" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<p><br /><br />Not only were there many interesting sessions, the conference also included lots of entertainment – an opening ceremony with a Polish marching band and awards for the standout Wikimedians presented by Jimmy Wales (the founder of Wikipedia), a pottery painting class where we got to paint our own mug. I really enjoyed this activity. It was a lovely calming moment in a busy conference. There was also a performance from a traditional Polish choir, and a closing ceremony with a performance from the Wiki Orchestra , a group of talented musicians from the Wikimedia community playing a beautiful piece by Chopin. Then to finish a closing party in the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra with Wikimedians mingling and dancing to celebrate the end of a successful 4 day conference full of collaboration, learning, and cultural exchange.</p>
<p><br />During my free time, I also explored Katowice. I visited the Silesian Museum (An old mine that had since been repurposed), walked around appreciating the city’s architecture, and tried local cuisine such as Polish dumplings (called pierogies). They were delicious! On my way back, I flew out of Krakow, so I got to see some of that city as well, taking a walk around the old town, visiting the castle, strolling along the river, and exploring the Jewish quarter. It was exciting being able to explore and learn about both these cities that I hadn’t visited before.</p>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6400/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Silesian Museum" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6518/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Panteon Górnośląski w Katowicach" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6544/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Garrison Church" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6552/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Buildings in Katowice on Juliusxa Slowackiego" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6609/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Horse and Carriage in Krakow" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6621/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="St Mary's Basilica, Krakow" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<p><br /><br />Now back in Edinburgh with lots of work to continue, I’m reflecting on what was an enriching experience for which I am very grateful. I’m proud to have presented at an international conference, which will definitely boost my confidence. It was inspiring to see the variety of work happening within the Wikimedia community, such as the resilience of the Ukrainian community during the ongoing war. The conference felt like a community that was excited to meet and learn from one another and I’m glad to have been part of it.<br /><br /></p>
<div id="attachment_450" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-450" class="wp-image-450 size-large" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-1024x1024.jpeg" alt="Wikimania 2024 Group Photo" width="740" height="740" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media.jpeg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><p id="caption-attachment-450" class="wp-caption-text">Wikimania 2024 Group Photo</p></div>
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<time datetime="2024-08-19" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 19, 2024</time>
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<title>Remembering Scotland’s Accused Witches: Books, Plays and Memorials</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/internship-wrap-up/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/internship-wrap-up/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Aug 2023 15:55:59 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=402</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I am writing this blog post on the final day of my internship. The 12 weeks have flown by! Over this period, a lot of progress has been made to the new version of the site. This has consisted of:• Quality checking the data by comparing the data from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft to […]]]></description>
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<p style="text-align: left">I am writing this blog post on the final day of my internship. The 12 weeks have flown by! Over this period, a lot of progress has been made to the new version of the site.</p>
<p style="text-align: left"><br />This has consisted of:<br />• Quality checking the data by comparing the data from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft to the data on Wikidata.<br />• Making improvements and getting rid of bugs on the website .<br />• User testing sessions.</p>
<p style="text-align: left"><br />You can read more about these in the previous blog posts. However, there is still progress to be made so I am going to continue to work on this project one day a week when I return to university in September! This will allow us to make sure we are fully confident with the data being used and the happy with the content of the website before releasing the new version of the website. The new version of the website includes lots of exciting new information and features such as accusations of shapeshifting and ritual objects plotted on a filterable map, custom timeline searches, a <a href="http://www.histropedia.com/">Histropedia</a> timeline where you can do name searches and filtering by age of accused and a new historic map layer using <a href="https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=10.6&lat=55.91496&lon=-3.36726&layers=125140579&b=1">the 1750 Dorret georeferenced map from National Library of Scotland</a>.</p>
<p>If you want to find out more about what I’ve been working on watch this video below:</p>
<iframe loading="lazy" src="about:blank" data-bs-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DKwfk7mgxk0?feature=oembed" width="660" height="544" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Over the past 2 weeks I’ve had the opportunity to attend interesting witch related events at the Edinburgh festivals. I went to a talk at Edinburgh International Book Festival with the authors Mairi Kidd (<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/we-are-all-witches/mairi-kidd/9781785304132">We Are All Witches</a> ) and Allyson Shaw (<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/ashes-and-stones/allyson-shaw/9781529395457">Ashes and Stone</a>) who have written books about the accused witches of Scotland which they discussed in this talk. “We Are All Witches” tells fictionalised accounts of 16 of the accused witches based on the information available and “Ashes and Stones” follows the authors journey visiting memorials of the accused witches around Scotland. This highlighted the importance and relevance of telling the individual stories and the memorialisation of those who suffered.</p>
<p>With my manager I also went to see a play at the fringe called <a href="https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/prick">Prick</a>, which told the stories of some of the executed women accused of witchcraft including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isobel_Gowdie">Issobell Gowdie</a>. These were both really inspiring, emotional and evocative events. I think after spending so long working with the data you begin to forget that these were real people and not just entries on a database, I was really reminded of how horrific, unjust and inhumane the trials and sufferings these women went through really were, which enforced in my mind the importance of sharing their stories. Also, both the authors at the book talk and the playwright of Prick used the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft as one of their primary resources when researching the Scottish witch trials which was a reminder of how valuable the data we are working with is.</p>
<div id="attachment_405" style="width: 349px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-405" class=" wp-image-405" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/booktalk-e1692977642502-225x300.jpg" alt="Mairi Kidd & Allyson Shaw: Who Are the Real Witches? - Book Festival Talk" width="339" height="452" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/booktalk-e1692977642502-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/booktalk-e1692977642502.jpg 480w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 339px) 100vw, 339px" /><p id="caption-attachment-405" class="wp-caption-text">Mairi Kidd & Allyson Shaw: Who Are the Real Witches? – Book Festival Talk</p></div>
<p>After going to both events it was really in our minds how important it is to remember and learn from these people’s stories and the there is a lot of interest in how they are memorialised. This has lead us to decide we will begin working on the idea we had to create a map of memorials for the accused witches. So people can see in one place the memorials that local areas have dedicated to the accused witches that were subject to the trials, torture and executions. We have started researching this by borrowing the book <a href="https://beul-aithris-publishing.onlineweb.shop/Witch_Memorials_of_Scotland/p6366266_20228504.aspx"><em>Witch Memorials of Scotland</em> by Gregor Stewart</a> from the University library. We also met with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Goodare">Professor Julian Goodare</a> to update him on the progress that has been made, ask him for advice, make use of his expertise and discuss our future ideas going forward such as the map of memorials.</p>
<div id="attachment_406" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-406" class="size-medium wp-image-406" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-300x157.jpg" alt="Ruby and Professor Julian Goodare" width="300" height="157" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-300x157.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-768x402.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image.jpg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-406" class="wp-caption-text">Ruby and Professor Julian Goodare</p></div>
<p><br />Overall, this internship has been a great experience because not only have I learnt lots of new technical skills (programming in R, Vue JavaScript framework, Wikidata, Sparql queries, user testing and user interface design) and professional skills (communication, teamwork and time management) I have also got to learn lots about this dark period of Scottish history through lots of different mediums. I’ve been inspired to learn more in my own time and have read <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/hex/jenni-fagan/9781846976223">Hex</a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenni_Fagan">Jenni Fagan</a> which tells an imagining of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geillis_Duncan">Geillis Duncan</a>‘s last night. This has made me passionate about working on this project as I’ve realised the real world value and impact of helping people to understand the stories and individuals behind this data. I’m looking forward to continuing this work and launching the new version of the site which hopefully further shares these individual stories as best we can.</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2023-08-25" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 25, 2023</time>
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<title>From Witches to Widgets: A Witchfinder Intern’s Update</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/from-witches-to-widgets-a-witchfinder-interns-update/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/from-witches-to-widgets-a-witchfinder-interns-update/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:14:50 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Internship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=383</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Hello, It’s been a while since my last blog post so it’s time for an update about my time as Witchfinder General Data Visualisation intern! Since my last post, I’ve been busy as ever, diving into the world of data quality assuring, tinkering with our website, and getting some insights from users and lots of […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Hello, It’s been a while since my last blog post so it’s time for an update about my time as Witchfinder General Data Visualisation intern! Since my last post, I’ve been busy as ever, diving into the world of data quality assuring, tinkering with our website, and getting some insights from users and lots of other fun and interesting experiences.</p>
<div id="attachment_389" style="width: 298px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-389" class=" wp-image-389" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-225x300.jpg" alt="Photo of Me Working on the Website" width="288" height="384" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal.jpg 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px" /><p id="caption-attachment-389" class="wp-caption-text">Working on the Website in Argyle House</p></div>
<p><br />My role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of our data continues. With the aim of making sure our users get the most reliable insights and facts meanwhile respecting the original work of Survey of Scottish Witchcraft. I have now compared lots of fields including place of detention, primary & secondary case characteristics, cause of death, manner of death and lots more. From this I have been able to see that some information has been discovered since the Survey and added to Wikidata. I have made sure that all this information is referenced to trustworthy verifiable sources, ensuring that our website has the most accurate and up to date information possible. You can keep track of my progress <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Scotland%27s_Accused_Witches/To_do">on our Wikidata project page here</a>.</p>
<div id="attachment_386" style="width: 495px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-386" class=" wp-image-386" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-300x143.png" alt="New Feature on the Website which allows you to see historic version of Map" width="485" height="231" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-300x143.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-1024x489.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-768x367.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-1536x734.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-1440x688.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px" /><p id="caption-attachment-386" class="wp-caption-text">New Historic Map Fearure</p></div>
<p><br />I’ve added some cool features to our website! You can now travel back in time with our historical map layer. After discussing different map layers with <span class="ui-provider fz b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">Chris Fleet at National Library of Scotland we selected <a href="https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=12.2&lat=55.92314&lon=-3.22392&layers=125140579&b=1">the 1750 georeferenced James Dorret map</a>. </span>This lets you see how things looked closer to the time of the accused witches. Plus, we’ve made it easier for users to pick and choose what they want to see with the select and deselect buttons and changing the list of filters to alphabetical order. And I’ve been on a bug-hunting mission to get rid of them and make sure everything runs smoothly to make the website easier to navigate. We have had several other ideas of how we can make our website more engaging and informative, one of these ideas was to add some illustrations to the website to help users understand what information is being displayed to them. So I talked to one of the other interns Ally who is working on an interactive colouring in book. She came out with some initial ideas that could be used as icons for the accusations of Shapeshifting and the Ritual Objects supposed used and they turned out great! However, we have some concerns relating to including modern illustrations on our website. We are worried it could distract from the academic historical work or misrepresent some of these historical ideas (e.g. Shapeshifting) that we are referring to.</p>
<div id="attachment_398" style="width: 325px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-398" class=" wp-image-398" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-300x155.jpg" alt="Concept Illustrations for Website" width="315" height="163" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-300x155.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-1024x527.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-768x396.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-1536x791.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-1440x742.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px" /><p id="caption-attachment-398" class="wp-caption-text">Concept Illustrations for Website</p></div>
<p>I also ran 7 user testing sessions with support from the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/user-experience">User Experience team</a> who’s aim is to deliver user-centred products. I initially met with members of the team and they informed me that the best way to improve the user experience of the website would be to find out what needs improving by conducting user testing. They gave me lots of advice on how to go about these sessions and for one of my first sessions helped me take notes. We decided to test on users who were experts on history and some people with very little previous knowledge on witches! So I reached out to <span class="ui-provider fz b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">Assistant Professor Mikki Brock, Witches of Scotland podcasters, Dr. Chris Langley and other interns to see if they would be interested in participating, and they all were! </span>This range of knowledge was really useful to see how the different types of users interacted with the website, this is important as these are both user groups that our website in intended for. I would give the users tasks to complete on the site and watch them complete them, taking notes and then ask them questions to hear their thoughts and advice. Their feedback will help guide us towards the best version of the website possible. I’ve shared their insights with the team, and together we’re deciding what we came take from it to make improvements to the site.</p>
<p><br />As part of my internship, I’ve also had some pretty cool experiences beyond the screen. A trip to <a href="https://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/whats-on/">St Celias Hall</a>, a musical instrument museum, was a really interesting experience that I learnt lots of new information from. I’ve also dabbled in Wikipedia writing after attending a Wikipedia training session, I researched and wrote a page about the accused witch <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issobell_Fergussone">Issobelle Fergesoune</a>. It’s great to be able to write about the accused witches individual stories as this humanizes them and helps people understand what they really went through. Also, I have attended several team meetings, where coffee and cake were involved!</p>
<div id="attachment_392" style="width: 297px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-392" class=" wp-image-392" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-225x300.jpg" alt="Musical Instruments in St Celia's Hall" width="287" height="383" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 287px) 100vw, 287px" /><p id="caption-attachment-392" class="wp-caption-text">Musical Instruments in St Celia’s Hall</p></div>
<p>So, what’s next? I have two quite big challenges to focus on, one being making sure the website is mobile responsive and the other being trying to reduce the load time when opening the website. Currently, the website can takes some time to load because there is huge amounts of data being pulled. This will be quite technically difficult to solve. Our approach is going to be separating the queries pulling the data into smaller queries so less data is being pulled at once. The load time is very important to user experience and something that was mentioned several times in the user testing sessions. Hopefully after these improvements the new version of the website will be one step closer to being released!</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2023-08-08" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 8, 2023</time>
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<title>Weeks 2 and 3 – Unravelling Anomalies and Starting the Website Transformation</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-2-and-3-unravelling-anomalies-and-starting-the-website-transformation/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-2-and-3-unravelling-anomalies-and-starting-the-website-transformation/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 Jun 2023 06:31:51 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=377</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I am now coming the end of my third week as the Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation intern and time has flown by. Over the past 2 weeks I have begun on the journey of Quality Assuring the data and improving the website. This process began by dealing with the anomalies between the names and […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span data-contrast="auto">I am now coming the end of my third week as the Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation intern and time has flown by. Over the past 2 weeks I have begun on the journey of Quality Assuring the data and improving the website. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">This process began by dealing with the anomalies between the names and gender of accused witches that the previous intern, Claire had found and then after consulting with<a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/history-classics-archaeology/about-us/staff-profiles/profile_tab5_academic.php?uun=jgoodare&search=2¶ms="> Professor Julian Goodare</a> about these differences making the corresponding necessary changes in wikidata. Then I began with looking at different properties, starting with social class and occupation. From this I discovered there was some differences with the wording of some of the values used in the Survey and in Wikidata. This was because there are some very Survey-specific terms related to witch hunts in 16th century Scotland and a 21st century platform like Wikidata has items of data that are of more general use with often more modern definitions of terms as a community knowledgebase of open linked data. It is also because language changes over time and the definitions and use of terms and placenames has changed since the 16th century. Where possible it is better to use a common language of terms so that the data can be explored and parsed more easily. However, if there are stark differences then it is better to make sure that Wikidata has terms suitable for explaining the specific nature of terms of the information contained within the Survey so that there is no loss of meaning or misrepresentation creeping in. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_380" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-380" class="wp-image-380 size-medium" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/wordTable-300x224.png" alt="Anomalies in Value Labels between Wikidata and the Survey" width="300" height="224" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/wordTable-300x224.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/wordTable.png 463w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-380" class="wp-caption-text">Anomalies in Value Labels between Wikidata and the Survey</p></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">In most cases Professor Julian Goodare, lecturer in History and project Director of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft database (2003), approved of these cases but he suggested that </span><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q54128"><b><span data-contrast="auto">domestic worker</span></b></a><span data-contrast="auto"> did not give appropriate meaning and that adding a new value <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q119574553"><strong>servant</strong> </a>would represent the work they did more accurately so I changed every accused witch on Wikidata that was down a domestic worker to servant using <a href="https://quickstatements.toolforge.org/#/">Quickstatements</a>. Once we had confirmed that the rest of the terms being used in Wikidata were suitable, there was no anomalies left for social class but there was some for occupation. There were some witches in Wikidata where some additional occupations had been added that were not mentioned in the survey. We sent these to Prof. Julian Goodare and he looked through his resources and verified whether these occupations were accurate and provided us with a reference that could be added to Wikidata. This is part of the benefit of working with open linked data where multiple values can be added by a community of users if it aids and augments the data. It does need to be verifiable however so adding a reference to back up statements being added is key.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Looking at residence property was my next hurdle and it proved to be a more difficult and time consuming task than the previous properties. This was because in the Survey there were numerous columns of locations for each accused witch – settlement, parish, presbytery, county and burgh – and on Wikidata different locations have been chosen depending on which residence Emma.. ( the first student intern to work on this project) was able to find. Emma worked with georeferenced historic maps from the National Library of Scotland and placename books to try and identify which placename listed in the five columns of data in the Survey could be geolocated on a map to be the most specific place of residence for each accused witch we could approximate a co-ordinate location for. This means there is a lot of differences between the survey data and Wikidata to look through, so this is something I am still working on , as there are 820 locations to look at.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">I have also began working on the website improvements. This began by creating a list of all the things we would like to change/add and categorising them into bugs, new features, and navigation improvements. And we also had a meeting with Prof. Julian Goodare to discuss potential additions with him. Lots of great ideas came out of this meeting such as filming an explainer video for the ‘About’ webpage that would give an introduction this project, the background of the survey of Scottish witchcraft and a guide to the website. Once we had completed a categorised list, I had a meeting with the web development team, Andrew and Richard, and we played ‘scrum poker’, a method for each of us guesstimating how long each development task might take. The next stage was to start working through these tasks and prioritising any bugs.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The navigation and user interface of the test site of the website is something that needs improved before making this version available to the public. We reached out to the ISG’s User Experience (UX) Service to see if they could provide us with any support on this side of things. We had a meeting with them to give them an introduction the project and website, give our ideas, answer their questions and gauge the kind of support they could give us. I think the main goal of the site is to make a good resource for people interested in witches but also those with no prior knowledge. Since the website was first released loads of visualisations were added to the test site of version 2 by Maggie and Josep, our student interns in Summer 2022. These have provided great new insights but have caused for the navigational layout of the site to become slightly unorganised. It is often hard to find what you are looking for or understand what you are looking at. Ahead of the meeting with the UX team, I created some mock ups showing how we could change the navigation so that all the maps of accused witches are in the same place (discoverable in the left hand menu pictured below) and you can explore the map with different filters and read contextual text explaining each visualisation. This way people are more likely to view and understand more of the information. We are soon to have a follow up meeting with them to discuss things further.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_378" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-378" class="wp-image-378 size-medium" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web1-300x131.png" alt="Mock-up of Web Improvements" width="300" height="131" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web1-300x131.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web1.png 683w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-378" class="wp-caption-text">Mock-up of Web Improvements</p></div></p>
<p><div id="attachment_379" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-379" class="wp-image-379 size-medium" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web2-300x136.png" alt="Mock-up of Web Improvements" width="300" height="136" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web2-300x136.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web2.png 681w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-379" class="wp-caption-text">Mock-up of Web Improvements</p></div></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Overall, I have really enjoyed my first few weeks. I have been able to work on a variation of tasks including web development, data assurance and Wikidata. This has kept things interesting and exciting and I have learnt so much already from new technical skills to greater historical knowledge of what happened to these accused witches. have had meetings with lots of interesting people all providing valuable ideas to the project. I have also met lots of other interns and staff at various events such as the welcome lunch, home baking morning and the all staff BBQ. I am excited to continue the work I have done so far.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2023-06-28" itemprop="dateModified">Jun 28, 2023</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>A Witchfinder’s Quest : Ensuring Data Accuracy & Enhancing the Website</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/witchfinders-data-accuracy-website/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/witchfinders-data-accuracy-website/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 Jun 2023 09:05:50 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Internship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=366</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Hi! I’m Ruby and I’m a 3rd year undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh studying Computer Science. And I am the new Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation Intern and I am going to be continuing with the great work of the previous interns that have worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. So far, […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi! I’m Ruby and I’m a 3<sup>rd</sup> year undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh studying Computer Science. And I am the new Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation Intern and I am going to be continuing with the great work of the previous interns that have worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. So far, many amazing visualisations have been created and added to the website that make it a great educational resource that everyone can access.</p>
<p>These visualisations have been based on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Database created by academics in the early 2000’s. Key information from this database has been uploaded to <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Main_Page">Wikidata</a>, allowing for this data to be more accessible to a large community, and has allowed editing and augmentation by members of the Wikidata community. Most visualisations on the website are creating using the data from Wikidata. Wikidata is part of the Wikimedia family, and is a free and open knowledge base composed of structured data that is used in Wikipedia and projects such as this one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><div id="attachment_367" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-367" class="size-medium wp-image-367" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-300x225.jpg" alt="Familiarizing myself with the datasets and the current website" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1.jpg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-367" class="wp-caption-text">Familiarizing myself with the datasets and the current website</p></div></p>
<p><strong>My Goals for Working on this Project</strong></p>
<p>Since the data has been uploaded to Wikidata, it means there may be differences between the Wikidata and the orginal survey data due to the possibility of import errors and other users editing the data. It is important that we check that the data is all this accurate in order to prevent the spread of misinformation and to respect the original historical record, the historical events, what happened to these women, and the work of the researchers on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft. The intern previous to me, Claire Panella, developed a method using R Studio to find the entries that don’t match between Wikidata and the original Survey of Scottish Witches databases. She first completed checking the gender and then the names of the accused witches matched the Survey, from this it was discovered there was several anomalies. One of my roles while pursuing this internship is to continue this work of quality assuring the linked open data used in our website. This will be approached by using Claire’s methodology to check all the different variables displayed in the visualisations, then verifying what changes need made by consulting with academic expert colleagues before making any of the changes. This way we will know the information we are displaying is the most accurate version possible. Although, because this is historical data there are omissions and inexactitudes that by opening up the data to a public audience we hope to be able to further scrutinise and improve on what we know about this dark period of Scottish history.</p>
<p>Along with quality assuring the data I will be working on improving the <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">website</a> in order, with the aim of users being able to gain as much from the website as possible. This will in involve making some changes to the user interface in order to make it more accessible and usable by making it more user friendly and easier to navigate. Furthermore, adding any visualisations that we believe will provide insightful information to users of the website. For example, I had the idea of creating a heatmap to show the distribution of the accused witches across Scotland. Whilst working on the website, we will gather ideas and opinions from experts in all things Wiki and Witches!</p>
<p><strong>My First Week</strong></p>
<p>During my first week on this project, I dedicated my time to familiarizing myself with the datasets, which comprise a substantial database with over 3,000 entries. This extensive collection contains a wealth of information about each accused witch, their respective witch trials, and the overarching investigations into witchcraft. Consequently, there were many aspects to consider, and this gave me a lot to think about.</p>
<p>In order for me to effectively use <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Main_Page">Wikidata</a>, a platform I had limited knowledge about before starting this project, I engaged with various members of the Wikidata community. These individuals offered valuable advice and guidance as I begin navigate this project. In order to make the most of Wikidata’s capabilities, I devoted time to learning how to effectively utilize Sparql (a query language for databases) and Openrefine (an open-source tool specifically designed for working with untidy datasets).</p>
<p>Furthermore, this project has required the development of new skills to effectively manipulate the databases and improve the website. In this pursuit, I acquainted myself with R Studio, a programming language I had not previously worked with. I discovered that R Studio offers a user-friendly interface along with robust statistical and data analysis functionalities, making it a suitable choice of software for the project’s requirements. Additionally, I followed tutorials on Vue.js, the JavaScript framework employed for constructing the website.</p>
<p>Over the past year, interns previous to me have worked on a version 2 of the website with some changes made and extra visualisations added to the website. This version currently has not been made public. Over the course of my internship we hope to get this version to a completed stage and make this version public. To kickstart the process, I engaged in brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for the website. Subsequently, I organized and prioritized these ideas, ensuring a clear direction for the project.</p>
<p>I’m really excited to work on this project. As a Computer Science student, I have some experience with working with large datasets and creating data visualizations and working on web applications, and I am excited to be able to develop these skills. Meanwhile, getting to learn to learn a lot about this historic event and work on a great resource that can educate people on one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in Scottish History.<br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2023-06-12" itemprop="dateModified">Jun 12, 2023</time><br />
</span></p>
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<item>
<title>Finding Impossible Witches: Part One The Search Begins</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/finding-impossible-witches-part-one/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/finding-impossible-witches-part-one/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[cpanella]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2023 15:38:47 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[claire panella]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[open data]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=351</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Inheriting the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Project Hi! I’m Claire, a 4th year undergraduate studying International Relations with Quantitative Methods at the University of Edinburgh, and the latest in a long line of interns and others who’ve worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. The data involved in this project was originally compiled in […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b><span data-contrast="none">Inheriting the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Project</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">Hi! I’m Claire, a 4</span><span data-contrast="none">th</span><span data-contrast="none"> year undergraduate studying International Relations with Quantitative Methods at the University of Edinburgh, and the latest in a long line of interns and others who’ve worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. The data involved in this project was originally compiled in a Microsoft Access Database by academics in the early 2000’s. Since then, key information from the database has been added to Wikidata, allowing for greater accessibility as well as editing and augmentation by members of the Wikidata community. People have done lots of great things with this data, including </span><a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/"><span data-contrast="none">all the visualisations</span></a><span data-contrast="none"> put together by the previous data visualisation interns, but now that the data is stored across several different platforms, it’s important to make sure that these versions are reconciled. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">My role is to find the ‘Impossible Witches’; those entries which don’t m</span><span data-contrast="none">atch between Wikidata and the original Access database.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_353" style="width: 566px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-353" class="wp-image-353" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-300x219.jpg" alt="" width="556" height="406" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-300x219.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-1024x747.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-768x560.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 556px) 100vw, 556px" /><p id="caption-attachment-353" class="wp-caption-text">Working away making my first comparisons in R. By Claire Panella, Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0</p></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none"> </span><b><span data-contrast="none">Checking against the database item by item</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">My initial approach to this was to use R to compare between csv files exported from the Access database, and csv files accessed by querying Wikidata. This required downloading both files, checking to make sure variable labels matched, combining the datasets, and isolating the cases where the information didn’t match iso I could look through and see where the issues were.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">For some features, like gender, a lot of information h</span><span data-contrast="none">as been added to Wikidata that isn’t present in the survey, but there are very few cases where </span><span data-contrast="none">Wikidata and the survey have conflicting information.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><div id="attachment_354" style="width: 554px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-354" class="wp-image-354" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/gender-anomalies-300x169.png" alt="" width="544" height="306" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/gender-anomalies-300x169.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/gender-anomalies.png 602w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px" /><p id="caption-attachment-354" class="wp-caption-text">Anomalies in Gender between Wikidata and the Survey</p></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">In others, like Name, the situation is a bit more complicated. Sometimes the spellings vary between Wikidata and the Survey – this could be for a few reasons, and to add to the complications, both data sources have multiple name categories – the survey includes both modern and historical first and last names, while Wikidata includes both an Item Identifier and aliases. I’ve also looked for exact matches between the text from each source, so some inconsistencies just have to do with capitalisation and spacing. Really, it’s impressive there are only 23 anomalies!</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_352" style="width: 543px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-352" class="wp-image-352" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/name-anomalies-300x170.png" alt="" width="533" height="302" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/name-anomalies-300x170.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/name-anomalies.png 602w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px" /><p id="caption-attachment-352" class="wp-caption-text">Anomalies in Name between Wikidata and the Survey</p></div></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">My goal now is to come up with a solid procedure to check wikidata entri</span><span data-contrast="none">es against the survey so we can be sure we’re consistent and accurate in which data changes we keep. After that, I’ll work on a methodology to pass on to whomever the next ‘Witchfinder General’ is so that we can keep track of data changes as the project continues to grow and evolve. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">As I look for a method to continuously check for differences between the original survey data and the most up to date version of Wikidata, I’ve turned to the Wikidata community for help. Ewan reached out to his contacts, and I reached out via <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Project_chat">Project Chat</a> as well as a Slack channel for <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_LD4_Wikidata_Affinity_Group">libraries using Wikidata</a>. Different users have responded with various suggestions. One Wikidata user suggested a library I could use to efficiently link R with SPARQL queries, and some of Ewan’s contacts gave suggestions for the general workflow I could follow in creating a shareable methodology. One of the most helpful suggestions was that I use a tool called prompter, which would allow me to compare the results of a SPARQL query to a stable csv and store anomalies as a table on the Wikidata project page. While this looks like a great idea, it has led us to run into another of the common problems involved in working with Wikidata – not all of the tools are maintained. The </span><a href="https://prompter.toolforge.org/prompter"><span data-contrast="none">Prompter</span></a><span data-contrast="none"> tool was designed by the Every Politician Project, which was placed on indefinite pause in June 2019. This means that while the documentation for the tool still exists, it no longer works as a template in Wikidata. For me, this has been a valuable lesson on the pros and cons of working with a platform run and maintained by volunteers. Still, we are continuing to get great advice from Wikimedians around the world. A new goal of mine for the end of this project is to create a workable and well documented method that I can easily share, so I have something to give back to the community that has helped me so much throughout this project. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2023-04-05" itemprop="dateModified">Apr 5, 2023</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>Weeks 9 and 10 – Sweeping the Cobwebs(ite)</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-9-and-10-cleaning-the-cobwebsite/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-9-and-10-cleaning-the-cobwebsite/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[jgarcia7]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:44:34 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=330</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Site re-development – Filtering Witchcraft Hi, this is Josep again! We are currently in Week 10 of our internship, and time is starting to become a limiting factor. Since my last blog post in Week 4 a lot of things have been going on, and in this post I am going to be explaining how […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Site re-development – Filtering Witchcraft</h2>
<p>Hi, this is Josep again! We are currently in Week 10 of our internship, and time is starting to become a limiting factor. Since my last blog post in Week 4 a lot of things have been going on, and in this post I am going to be explaining how the plans I had back then have turned out, what I have managed to accomplish, and the things I still have left to do in the two remaining weeks.</p>
<p>In week 5, I implemented the new filtering algorithm, and everything went rather smoothly – although I had to change the whole data structure. I think this was a significant improvement, as things ran a bit faster, we only had to keep one copy of the array we use to plot, and the code was neater.</p>
<p>However, after that I then spent quite a few days implementing a way to share filter status data across pages, so that when the user changed pages they would have the same filters on as they had in the previous page. Nevertheless, in order to do this without a backend I had to hardcode the filters array into something called Vue Store (so that its state could be accessed from all pages).</p>
<p>The nature of this array meant that it had to change if the data in the database changed, so I would also need a dynamic check, and I thought it was fine because the data is not likely to change, and I had a dynamic check implement just in case it did. But when I pushed the code over for review, the rest of the team felt it was not ideal to have something both static and dynamic at the same time, which in hindsight I agreed with.</p>
<p>Then I thought I could build the list dynamically and then enter it into the Vue Store, but once I had that implemented I realised that that didn’t work because of caching we were doing (which is quite important because of loading time issues). Therefore, in the end we decided we would just not have the filters share across pages until we had a backend. Back then it was a bit difficult as I felt I had wasted quite a lot of time, but at the same time it was a valuable learning experience!</p>
<p>With the new filtering functionality done, I then started changing the filtering user interface to move it to the left of the page, and with the help of the rest of the team I think we managed to get a pretty neat, professional looking design. This is what it is looking like now:</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-332 aligncenter" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-12-at-13.34.59-300x175.png" alt="" width="566" height="331" /></p>
<p>This was the last thing I did before leaving to Spain for holidays for a week.Right now, I have been back from holidays for a bit less than two weeks. In the time that I have been back, I have been working on developing a responsive timeline for the Leaflet Map pages and refactoring the code in order to be able to add more map pages with more filters very easy once Maggie has finished adding all the new data on to WikiData, which should be any time now.</p>
<p>Other than doing these two things, I was hoping to have time to add a backend in Python to process all the data after querying WikiData (as of now there is no backend and we do it in the front-end’s JavaScript) since we will have quite a lot of new data to process, and we are afraid the loading time will significantly increase. However, in the end it has been decided that I shouldn’t do the back end in Python since the team say that they can’t maintain a Python backend in the long term once I’m gone, as they work in PHP. I will try and have time to do the backend in PHP, but I would have to learn it from scratch and there are a lot more other bits and pieces that need doing!</p>
<h2>The Data Side of Things</h2>
<p>I was off for most of last week as I was in Turkey holidaying for a couple of days, but was back on Thursday for more data work! I finished processing the <strong>witches’ meeting places</strong> and <strong>what went down</strong> in these meetings, as well as the <strong>calendar customs </strong>that were mentioned in the witchcraft investigations. Looking at <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112321273">Agnes Sampson’s investigation</a> page, you can see all the juicy new details we’ve fitted into the Wikidata data model from the Survey and processed using OpenRefine.</p>
<p>Speaking of OpenRefine, I am currently planning and scripting a little tutorial for users of the software or even future interns as I have really enjoyed how intuitive and helpful it’s been for this project. This should be recorded in the next week so keep your eyes peeled…</p>
<p>This week, I started off with doing some data cleaning. Previously, before we created case items for each witchcraft investigation, the <strong>shapeshifting</strong> and <strong>ritual objects</strong> data was added to the accused witches’ items. Some helpful Wikidatans saw this duplication and started deleting statements, so we decided we needed to clean this up to not cause confusion.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-336 aligncenter" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-300x111.png" alt="" width="586" height="217" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-300x111.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-1024x379.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-768x284.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-1536x568.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-1440x533.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 586px) 100vw, 586px" /></p>
<p>Using the same Google sheet that was used to add the shapeshifting information, I used the handy “<em>Export to QuickStatements</em>” option to get all the edits into QuickStatements syntax. I did this as with QuickStatements, it’s easy to remove specific statements by <strong>prefixing</strong> a line with a <strong>minus sign. </strong></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-337 aligncenter" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-300x154.png" alt="" width="399" height="205" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-300x154.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-1024x526.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-768x394.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357.png 1430w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px" /></p>
<p>After this, I started to think about extracting the data added to Wikidata using the Wikidata Query Service. We have been in contact with Navino Evans, one of the co-founders of <a href="http://www.histropedia.com/">Histropedia</a>, to help us with the complex SPARQL query. <a href="https://query.wikidata.org/#SELECT%20distinct%20%3Fitem%20%3FitemLabel%20%3FinvestigationDate%0A%3FresidenceLabel%20%3FresidenceCoords%20%3FsexLabel%20%3Flink%20%3FoccupationLabel%20%3FsocialClassificationLabel%0A%3FplaceOfDeathLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20%3FmannerOfDeathLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%0A%0A%23Newly%20added%0A%3Finvestigation%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3FinvestigationEnd%0A%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fqualities%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FchargeWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fcharges%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FritualObjectLabel%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FritualObjects%29%0A%0AWHERE%0A%7B%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Fwitch%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP551%20%3Fresidence%20.%0A%20%20%3Fresidence%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FresidenceCoords%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Flink%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP21%20%3Fsex%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP106%20%3Foccupation%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP3716%20%3FsocialClassification%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP1196%20%3FmannerOfDeath%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP2632%20%3FdetentionLocation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FdetentionLocation%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%23%20INVESTIGATION%0A%20%0A%20%20%23OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP793%20%3Finvestigation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP31%20wd%3AQ66458810%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%3B%20to%20repeat%20%3Finvestigation%20again%20without%20having%20to%20write%20it%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20wdt%3AP580%7Cwdt%3AP585%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%7C%20symbol%20to%20mean%20%22OR%22%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP582%20%3FinvestigationEnd%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Quality%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20WITH%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1552%20%3FhasQualityNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20ps%3AP1552%20%3FhasQuality%20.%20%23%20main%20value%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%20%23%20%22including%22%20qualifier%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20pq%3AP1012%20%3FqualityIncluding%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FqualityIncluding%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQuality%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FhasQualityLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FhasQualityLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20as%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Charge%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1595%20%3FchargeNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeNode%20ps%3AP1595%20%3Fcharge%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeNode%20pq%3AP4675%20%3Fform%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Fform%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FformLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FformLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Fcharge%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FchargeLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FchargeLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FformLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FchargeLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FformLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeLabel%29%20as%20%3FchargeWithQualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Ritual%20object%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20but%20WITHOUT%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP8706%20%3FritualObject%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FritualObject%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FritualObjectLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FritualObjectLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%23%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20SERVICE%20wikibase%3Alabel%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20bd%3AserviceParam%20wikibase%3Alanguage%20%22%5BAUTO_LANGUAGE%5D%2Cen%22.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0AGROUP%20BY%20%3Fitem%20%3FitemLabel%20%3FinvestigationDate%20%3FresidenceLabel%20%3FresidenceCoords%20%3FsexLabel%20%3Flink%0A%3FoccupationLabel%20%3FsocialClassificationLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20%3FmannerOfDeathLabel%0A%3FdetentionLocationLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%20%3Finvestigation%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3FinvestigationEnd">This</a> was the working example he sent us, and I used this example to try my hand at adding <strong>calendar customs</strong> and <strong>witches’ meeting places </strong>to the query (the data I added recently), with this <a href="https://query.wikidata.org/#SELECT%20distinct%20%3Fitem%20%3FitemLabel%20%3FinvestigationDate%0A%3FresidenceLabel%20%3FresidenceCoords%20%3FsexLabel%20%3Flink%20%3FoccupationLabel%20%3FsocialClassificationLabel%0A%3FplaceOfDeathLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20%3FmannerOfDeathLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%0A%0A%23Newly%20added%0A%3Finvestigation%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3FinvestigationEnd%0A%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fqualities%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FchargeWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fcharges%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FritualObjectLabel%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FritualObjects%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FcalendarCustomsLabel%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FcalendarCustoms%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FqualityWithLocation%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FmeetingPlaces%29%20%0A%0AWHERE%0A%7B%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Fwitch%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP551%20%3Fresidence%20.%0A%20%20%3Fresidence%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FresidenceCoords%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Flink%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP21%20%3Fsex%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP106%20%3Foccupation%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP3716%20%3FsocialClassification%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP1196%20%3FmannerOfDeath%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP2632%20%3FdetentionLocation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FdetentionLocation%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%23%20INVESTIGATION%0A%20%0A%20%20%23OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP793%20%3Finvestigation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP31%20wd%3AQ66458810%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%3B%20to%20repeat%20%3Finvestigation%20again%20without%20having%20to%20write%20it%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20wdt%3AP580%7Cwdt%3AP585%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%7C%20symbol%20to%20mean%20%22OR%22%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP582%20%3FinvestigationEnd%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Quality%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20WITH%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1552%20%3FhasQualityNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20ps%3AP1552%20%3FhasQuality%20.%20%23%20main%20value%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%20%23%20%22including%22%20qualifier%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20pq%3AP1012%20%3FqualityIncluding%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FqualityIncluding%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQuality%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FhasQualityLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FhasQualityLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20as%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Location%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20WITH%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1552%20%3FhasQualityNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20ps%3AP1552%20%3FhasQuality%20.%20%23%20main%20value%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%7B%20%20%23%20%22location%22%20qualifier%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20pq%3AP276%20%3FqualityLocation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FqualityLocation%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FqualityLocationLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FqualityLocationLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQuality%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FhasQualityLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FqualityLocationLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FhasQualityLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FqualityLocationLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20as%20%3FqualityWithLocation%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Charge%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1595%20%3FchargeNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeNode%20ps%3AP1595%20%3Fcharge%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%2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<p> </p>
<p> <br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2022-08-12" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 12, 2022</time><br />
</span></p>
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<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ewan McAndrew]]></dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[This post is the second written by LLB student Dervla Craig who has worked as our Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer researching and preparing a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid to preserve, and raise public engagement with, the accused witches of Scotland as an important part of Scotland’s heritage. As I sit to […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>This post is the second written by LLB student Dervla Craig who has worked as our Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer researching and preparing a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid to preserve, and raise public engagement with, the accused witches of Scotland as an important part of Scotland’s heritage.</strong></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">As I sit to write this blog post, my twelve-week internship is rapidly drawing to a close. How the time has flown! I have learned and achieved so much this summer, and it seems only appropriate that I reflect on and share what this experience has taught me through another blog post. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Since my first blog (</span><a href="https://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/preserving-scottish-heritage/"><span data-contrast="none">Preserving Scottish Heritage: The Accused Witches of Scotland</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">), my research and bid-writing have taken me down many different avenues. The more familiar I became with the past, however, the more questions arose about the present. Why is there still no appropriate memorial to the accused in Edinburgh? Does stigma still exist surrounding these persecuted individuals? How can we at the University best preserve and promote the individual stories of the accused and make sure they are not forgotten to history? Exploring these questions was extremely important for me in ensuring that I understood the context in which the bid lives and the landscape we would be entering with this project. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">In my search for answers to these questions, two main areas stuck out to me as requiring more work and attention to make sure the real, human stories of those accused of witchcraft are protected and valued now and into the future: increasing awareness, education, and understanding of the Scottish witch trials, and appropriately memorialising the victims who were accused, tortured and executed. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_1634" style="width: 639px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches-and-Witchcraft.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1634" class="size-large wp-image-1634" src="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches-and-Witchcraft-941x1024.jpg" alt="Information board about "Witches and Witchcraft" at the National Museum of Scotland. Pic by Ewan McAndrew, CC-BY-SA" width="629" height="684" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-1634" class="wp-caption-text">Information board about “Witches and Witchcraft” at the National Museum of Scotland. Pic by Ewan McAndrew, CC-BY-SA</p></div>
<h2><b><span data-contrast="auto">Education on the Scottish Witch Trials</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h2>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My line manager, Ewan McAndrew, and I have spent the last few weeks consulting with various organisations in an effort to realise the full potential of our bid. One area we explored was how we at the University, as a teaching and learning institution, could help facilitate education on the Scottish witch trials and use our accused witches’ dataset to combat negative perceptions of the accused exacerbated by entertainment-driven media portrayals. I researched the </span><a href="https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/curriculum-in-scotland/"><span data-contrast="none">Curriculum in Scotland </span></a><span data-contrast="auto">for secondary schools and was surprised to find that whilst adjacent topics such as King James VI and the Protestant Reformation are covered in detail, the witch trials themselves are largely overlooked. We also spoke with Jo Spiller and Judy Robertson from the University about their work on data education in schools and how our dataset could be a valuable resource. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">A huge opportunity for progress in this area came in week eight, when we visited the National Museum of Scotland to meet with Anna Groundwater, the Principal Curator of Renaissance and Early Modern History, Scottish History and Archaeology. She showed us the current witchcraft exhibit, which has remained unchanged for the twenty-seven years it has been on display, and discussed what updates could be made to accurately reflect the research that has taken place in the years since and modern attitudes towards the study of witchcraft and the witch trials. We also had a great conversation about promoting education on this dark period of Scottish history and how we can engage a wider audience with this heritage. This was my first professional meeting, and I am happy to report that it went very well. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":279}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_1635" style="width: 639px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches_Well.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1635" class="size-large wp-image-1635" src="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches_Well-1024x549.jpg" alt="Inscription plaque at the Witches Well memorial on Castlehill, Edinburgh. " width="629" height="337" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-1635" class="wp-caption-text">Inscription plaque at the Witches Well memorial on Castlehill, Edinburgh. Pic by (Lila), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons</p></div>
<h2><b><span data-contrast="auto">The issue of memorialisation</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h2>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">For centuries after the Scottish witch trials, sympathy for the accused was often seen as sympathy for the Devil and as such, there was not much research into the lives of those who were charged with the crime of witchcraft. Whilst modern attitudes have shifted to a more empathetic approach, the issue of memorialisation is still one of great controversy. </span><span data-contrast="none">The only memorial which stands in Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witches%27_Well,_Edinburgh">Witches’ Well</a> on Castle Hill, which is hidden away and has a problematic inscription that has been criticised for its historical inaccuracy and contention that while ‘<em>some used their exceptional knowledge for evil purposes while others were misunderstood and wished their kind nothing but good</em>‘. This assumption that those accused did indeed have supernatural abilities and that the brutality of the Scottish witch hunts was in any way justifiable is extremely harmful to the memory of the innocent people (85% of whom were women) that possessed no such powers but who were tortured and executed for being ‘witches’. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">The <a href="https://www.witchesofscotland.com/">Witches of Scotland</a> campaign group have long been advocating for a national memorial to the accused which would honour the victims in an appropriate way, and have even created a new, highly symbolic </span><a href="https://www.witchesofscotland.com/tartan"><span data-contrast="none">Tartan </span></a><span data-contrast="none"> pattern to honour the victims and act as a living memorial to them. (They also released a </span><a href="https://www.witchesofscotland.com/book"><span data-contrast="none">Book</span></a><span data-contrast="none"> called </span><i><span data-contrast="none">How to Kill a Witch: A Guide to the Patriarchy </span></i><span data-contrast="none">which is a brilliant read and mentions the University’s </span><a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/"><span data-contrast="none">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> – I highly recommend putting it at the top of your reading list). In our consultations with various organisations, the issue of appropriately memorialising the accused was one which was met with much interest and enthusiasm, and it seems that a place to go and pay our solemn respects to those whose lives were unjustly taken is something that would largely be supported and welcomed in Edinburgh.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><b><span data-contrast="auto">Final Thoughts</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Although there is much more work to be done in ensuring that the stories of the individuals who were accused of witchcraft are understood and remembered with accuracy and empathy, an appetite undoubtably exists for promoting these stories and memorialising these individuals in an appropriate and meaningful way. It is within this context that we will be submitting our bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund with the aim of establishing an open license, publicly accessible resource containing all known information on Scotland’s accused witches that can be used by researchers, historians, authors, artists, teachers, students and so many other groups to support work in and beyond the education and heritage sectors. Alongside this, we plan to run a programme of public engagement events to facilitate the public’s active participation with the data and stories of the accused. Further than simply historical education, we will encourage cultural reflection on themes such as women’s rights and the scapegoating of marginalised groups that permeate not just our past, but also our present. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":279}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">There is much we as a society can learn from this dark period of Scottish history, and I am hopeful that our bid, if successful, will support future research and work on the Scottish witch trials and bring awareness to the real stories behind the 3837 Scottish people, mostly women, who were accused of and in many cases executed for crimes they simply did not commit. I have been greatly moved by not just the deaths, but the lives of these individuals and am so grateful to have played a role this summer in preserving their memory for generations to come. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_1636" style="width: 639px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Woodcut.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1636" class="size-large wp-image-1636" src="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Woodcut-1024x747.jpg" alt="Woodcut from the Newes of Scotland pamphlet depicting suspected witches from North Berwick as they are threatened with a beating as they appear before two Scottish magistrates." width="629" height="459" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-1636" class="wp-caption-text">Woodcut on display at the National Museum of Scotland from the Newes of Scotland pamphlet depicting suspected witches from North Berwick as they are threatened with a beating as they appear before two Scottish magistrates. Pic by Ewan McAndrew, CC-BY-SA</p></div>
<p><strong>NB: Dervla has done so well over the last twelve weeks that she is continuing in post (part-time) during her studies this year.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ps. You can catch the Edinburgh Book festival talk, <a href="https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/claire-mitchell-and-zoe-venditozzi-women-not-witches"><em>Women not Witches</em>,</a> by Claire and Zoe of the Witches of Scotland at the Book Festival website.</strong></p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2025-10-07" itemprop="dateModified">Oct 7, 2025</time>
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<title>Preserving Scottish Heritage: The Accused Witches of Scotland</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/preserving-scottish-heritage-the-accused-witches-of-scotland/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/preserving-scottish-heritage-the-accused-witches-of-scotland/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ewan McAndrew]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 18:23:19 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Internship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[access]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[accessibility]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[data science]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[data skills]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dervla craig]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dsdt-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dsdtfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[emma carroll]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[heritage]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[history]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[inclusion]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[julian goodare]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[national lottery]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[open access]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[participation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[schools]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[wikipedia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[witch trials]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witchcraft]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=471</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This post was written by LLB student Dervla Craig on her first month as Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer. My name is Dervla and I am going into my second year of the Graduate LLB at the University of Edinburgh. This summer I am doing a 12-week internship with the University’s Information Services […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>This post was written by LLB student Dervla Craig on her first month as Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer.</strong></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My name is Dervla and I am going into my second year of the Graduate LLB at the University of Edinburgh. This summer I am doing a 12-week internship with the University’s <a href="https://information-services.ed.ac.uk/">Information Services Group (ISG)</a> on one of the most fascinating projects I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of: <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">the Accused Witches of Scotland project</a>.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">I am one of a long line of interns who has been involved in this project each year since 2019, which aims to commemorate and spread awareness about those who were persecuted as witches in Scotland during the 16th to 18th centuries. While previous interns have primarily been focused on processing and importing data from the University’s landmark </span><a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/faq/"><span data-contrast="none">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> database (2003) into <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Scotland%27s_Accused_Witches">Wikidata</a> and created our </span><a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/"><span data-contrast="none">witches</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> website with new map and timeline visualisations, this year my role looks a bit different.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My remit for the 12 weeks is to prepare a bid to the <a href="https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/">National Lottery Heritage Fund</a> to secure funding for what we hope can be the next phase of the project. Our goal is to preserve the accused witches’ data in the long-term and ensure that people can connect with and participate in this heritage now and in the future. As it has come to the end of my first month, I wanted to join the tradition of blogging about my internship experience so far.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h3><span data-contrast="none">Getting to know the individual stories of the accused</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My first week was spent diving down the rabbit hole to explore all there is to learn about the Scottish witch trials. If you had asked me to describe an accused witch before this week, I would’ve told you they wore a pointy hat and flew around on a broomstick. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Now when I picture these women, they look like my mother, or my grandmother, or me. They were ordinary people who suffered an egregious injustice, and I was extremely moved when learning about their stories.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Some of the most valuable tools for my research included </span><a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/faq/"><span data-contrast="none">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, created by Julian Goodare, a history professor at the University of Edinburgh, and his team in the late 90’s, and the <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">interactive </a></span><span data-contrast="none">witches</span><span data-contrast="auto"> map resource created by Emma Carroll, a geography student and our former Data Visualisation intern, and our late developer colleague Richard Lawson in September 2019. The Survey made use of the historic records of all the accused witches in Scotland between 1563 – 1736 and organised the details into a MS Access 1997 database, and our new 2019 map brings this data to life in a new and engaging way through importing the data into Wikipedia’s sister project, Wikidata, as linked open machine-readable data.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Learning about the great work that has been done previously definitely made me realise I have a lot to live up to but also motivated me to give it my all in the next twelve weeks and hopefully produce an end result that meets the standards of my predecessors.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h3><span data-contrast="none">Writing a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The next thing to familiarise myself with before I could dive into my writing was the bid itself. I spent a few days combing through the NLHF website to understand what it is they are looking for and how our project fits those needs. By getting to know my audience, I could ensure that my writing was intriguing, evidence-based and persuasive. I quickly found out that before submitting the 10,000-word application, I must submit a 1000-word ‘Expression of Interest’. This EoI asks questions about the heritage of the project, what our project aims to achieve, and why it is needed now. At this point, I felt I could write a dissertation for each of these questions, so the tight word count was my biggest enemy. I had lots of help from some lovely colleagues who offered their feedback and advice, including the Project Director of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, Professor Julian Goodare. After many tweaks and a few redrafts, I am happy to say at the end of week four that the EoI is pretty much ready to go.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h3><span data-contrast="none">Exploring avenues for community engagement</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Alongside writing, writing and more writing, I have also been brainstorming ideas for the community engagement side of our project. There have been so many great ideas by the team which have led to interesting and helpful discussions with different people and organisations, including the National Museum of Scotland, Reforesting Scotland, and some really talented artists. Excitingly, most of the responses we have received have been positive and enthusiastic. In the upcoming weeks, I hope to visit some of these places and see firsthand the primary sources from the witch trials.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h4><span data-contrast="none">Workshops and all-staff events</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h4>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Another educational and fun aspect of my experience so far, outside of my bid writing role, has been the plethora of events hosted by ISG. In the past month I have taken part in ‘intern welcome’ socials, Wikipedia writing workshops and even a workshop on an introduction to blogging! Alongside these, I have also attended two all-staff events, one for all Information Services Group (ISG) staff and one for the Learning, Teaching and Web (LTW) division. Not only have I learned so much about the behind-the-scenes and the people who have made my studies possible for the past five years, but these events have also been an opportunity to get to know more of my colleagues and socialise with other interns. At ISG there is a strong emphasis on having a healthy work-life balance and making sure that you and those around you have what you need to produce your best work.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_473" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-473" class="size-medium wp-image-473" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2025/07/Window-300x234.png" alt="View of Edinburgh Castle from Floor K, Argyle House." width="300" height="234" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2025/07/Window-300x234.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2025/07/Window.png 363w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-473" class="wp-caption-text">View of Edinburgh Castle from Floor K, Argyle House. CC-BY-SA by Dervla Craig.</p></div>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">In conclusion, I have had an amazing first month as an intern with the University of Edinburgh. I have learned a lot, met new people, and pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. Plus the amazing view of Edinburgh Castle from Floor K has been a real motivator to work from the office and not from home! I am nothing but hopeful that the next eight weeks will be even more exciting and productive, and that I can blog again soon with positive updates!</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">P.S. If you haven’t already, definitely visit <a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</a> and the <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">Map of Accused Witches in Scotland</a> websites! They are both amazing (and important) educational resources that I could browse for hours (and have).</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
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<time datetime="2025-07-11" itemprop="dateModified">Jul 11, 2025</time>
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<title>The Final Countdown: New Features and Nuxt 3 Upgrade</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/the-final-countdown/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/the-final-countdown/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:03:55 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikimania]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=455</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Since I last wrote after I returned from Wikimania, I have been working on getting version 2.0 of the website up to scratch! The new version of the website is set to launch this October, which meant there was a lot to get done before then.Firstly, the website framework was due for an upgrade from […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Since I last wrote after I returned from Wikimania, I have been working on getting version 2.0 of the website up to scratch! The new version of the website is set to launch this October, which meant there was a lot to get done before then.<br />Firstly, the website framework was due for an upgrade from Nuxt 2 to Nuxt 3. Nuxt is a javascript web development framework based on Vue.js, designed to make it easier to build fast and dynamic websites by handling much of the configuration and setup for developers. This upgrade was crucial for the website’s longevity and security, making it a top priority. This was something I had never done before, so I was a bit apprehensive. This did end up being quite a long challenging task as lots of the packages used in the website were not compatible with Nuxt 3 meaning I had to do quite a lot of problem solving and research to find new packages which could provide the same functionality and have a similar user interface. I learnt a lot from this process and had to be quite patient because at times I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get everything working, – for example the clustering of markers on the map – but after lots of trial and error and research I found a solution and felt proud of myself.</p>
<p><br />We also worked on some exciting new pages:</p>
<p><br /><strong>Map of Memorials & Sites of Interest:</strong> This is an interactive map showcasing memorials across Scotland dedicated to those who suffered during the witch trials, along with other sites of interest such as execution sites, prisons, meeting places, and museums with witchcraft displays. The purpose of this map is to document how the witch trials have been memorialised over time, and increasingly in recent years, and to provide people interested in the Scottish witch trials with locations they can visit.</p>
<p><br />This project involved an initial research period carried out by Ewan McAndrew, Ellie Whitehead and myself. We sought to identify memorial locations to include by reading books, searching the internet, and having discussions with Professor Julian Goodare. During these discussions, it became clear that several monuments are not based on actual historical events. For example, the Maggie Wall monument in Dunning—there is no evidence that Maggie Wall existed or was executed as a witch. However, we still found locations like this of interest in understanding how stories of witchcraft have been passed down through generations.</p>
<p><br />To differentiate between various types of sites, we created three categories: memorials, sites of interest, and tourist attractions. This allowed us to classify each location appropriately. After the research stage, we created Wikidata items for each location, adding any available images from Wikimedia Commons, coordinate locations, links to external websites, and street addresses. This data was then used to query and display these locations on a new webpage, where they are plotted on a map. <br />To provide further information to users, Ellie Whitehead wrote descriptions for each location in the database, explaining how the site is connected to the Scottish Witch Trials and addressing any misconceptions about historic fact vs folklore.<br /><br />Once we had collated all the information needed and created all Wikidata items I developed the website page and Stewart Cromar created new icons from the same woodcut of the North Berwick witches that the original icons are from.<br /><br /></p>
<div id="attachment_458" style="width: 321px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-458" class=" wp-image-458" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/intro-300x241.jpg" alt="North Berwick Witches Woodcut- Newes from Scotland" width="311" height="250" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/intro-300x241.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/intro.jpg 747w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 311px) 100vw, 311px" /><p id="caption-attachment-458" class="wp-caption-text">North Berwick Witches Woodcut – Newes from Scotland</p></div>
<p><br />This was a particularly rewarding page to create, as it involved multiple stages, including research, brainstorming ideas, designing the interface, and development. The result is a page I believe users will love, and that I feel proud of, as I believe it helps represents how the injustice of the Scottish Witch Trials has been commemorated across Scotland.</p>
<div id="attachment_459" style="width: 484px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-459" class=" wp-image-459" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-300x136.png" alt="Current Design of Memorials Page" width="474" height="215" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-300x136.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-1024x463.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-768x347.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-1536x694.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-1440x651.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page.png 1917w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" /><p id="caption-attachment-459" class="wp-caption-text">Memorials Page</p></div>
<p><br /><strong>Further Reading:</strong> A list of books, journals, and articles recommended by Professor Julian Goodare (director of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft) and Ellie Whitehead for those who wanted to learn more about the Scottish witch trials. Links are provided on where they can be accessed.</p>
<p><br /><strong>Glossary:</strong> A glossary containing terms used across the website, along with their meanings, was created to help users understand specialized vocabulary, as the filter lists may include terms that are not commonly known. We wanted users to have an easy way to discover the contextual meanings to get the most out of the website. Ellie Whitehead used the glossary from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft as a base, then added any additional terms from the filters that might not have an obvious meaning. After she compiled the list of terms and definitions, I created the web page. We decided it would be helpful if the list could be sorted either alphabetically or by category, making it easier for users to find terms.</p>
<div id="attachment_460" style="width: 445px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460" class=" wp-image-460" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-300x133.png" alt="Glossary Page" width="435" height="193" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-300x133.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-1024x455.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-768x341.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-1536x682.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-1440x640.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary.png 1916w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 435px) 100vw, 435px" /><p id="caption-attachment-460" class="wp-caption-text">Glossary Page</p></div>
<p><br /><strong>Introduction to Scottish Witchcraft:</strong> A page offering contextual information on the Scottish witchcraft trials to help users understand the historical background and significance of these events. We decided to include a video of Professor Julian Goodare for users who find it easier to learn from video content or those looking for more information, and who better to learn from than the creator of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft himself!<br />Initially, we planned to create a short, 5-minute general introduction to Scottish witchcraft. However, but given Julian’s incredible wealth of knowledge, we asked him additional questions we thought people would be most interested in, resulting in more videos about the Scottish Witch Trials and the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft to add to the website.<br />We recorded these videos in the University of Edinburgh’s Media Studio at Argyle House. I thoroughly enjoyed using this space, as it allowed us to create professional-quality videos. The studio is fully equipped with tools like a teleprompter, TV backdrop, light boxes, a microphone, and, of course, a camera.</p>
<div id="attachment_461" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-461" class=" wp-image-461" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-300x135.jpeg" alt="Media Studio" width="400" height="180" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-300x135.jpeg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-1024x461.jpeg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-768x346.jpeg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-1536x692.jpeg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-1440x649.jpeg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media.jpeg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /><p id="caption-attachment-461" class="wp-caption-text">Media Studio</p></div>
<p><br />Currently these new pages and upgrade are getting reviewed by web developer Andrew Millington before getting deployed to the site in order to make sure that the code is maintainable, working as intended, and a user friendly interface. Once these have been reviewed and all issues that come up resolved then the website will be ready for it’s version 2 launch!! <span data-teams="true"><span class="ui-provider a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">I’m really excited for this to go live so everyone can see all the work mentioned (above) that I’ve been working on for the last year and all the previous interns’ work too!</span></span></p>
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<time datetime="2024-10-03" itemprop="dateModified">Oct 3, 2024</time>
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<title>Wikimania 2024: A Conference of Collaboration, Learning and Culture</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 Aug 2024 09:34:24 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Conference]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikimania]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=424</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ On July 15th I returned as ‘Witchfinder General’ – Data Visualisation Intern for another 3 months of working on the Map of Scottish Accused Witches of Project. We are now 4 weeks in and I have lots to share.I went to my first ever conference – Wikimania! Wikimania is an annual conference hosted by […]]]></description>
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<p>On July 15th I returned as ‘Witchfinder General’ – Data Visualisation Intern for another 3 months of working on the Map of Scottish Accused Witches of Project. We are now 4 weeks in and I have lots to share.<br /><br />I went to my first ever conference – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikimania">Wikimania</a>! Wikimania is an annual conference hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, including presentations and discussions on Wikimedia projects such as Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons. This year it was held in Katowice, Poland. I went with my manager Ewan McAndrew to give a presentation on Student engagement with openness. Ewan spoke about examples of all the Wikimedia related student projects he has run at the University of Edinburgh and then I spoke about the work we have done on this project.<br /><br /><a href="https://wikimania.eventyay.com/2024/talk/FALUVE/">Find out more about our presentation here!</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/wLgxZTcjhjY?si=POQvnW26tqevogTD&t=7920">Watch the presentation here.</a> <br /><br />Before going, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the conference. In my mind, a conference seemed like a very formal event, which I thought might make me feel a bit out of place. However, as soon as I arrived, I found a relaxed and open atmosphere with a diverse group of people. From volunteers to software developers, people who work for the Wikimedia Foundation to those who edit Wikipedia in their free time, there was a wide range of interests, passions, careers, ages, and nationalities present. This diversity created a warm and accepting environment that made open discussion comfortable. I was initially apprehensive about my presentation, as public speaking is something that scares me a little, but that made the achievement feel even greater.<br /><br />Along with giving the presentation I also got to attend lots of interesting talks and panel discussions. These covered lots of topics including the future of AI within the Wikipedia movement, facing the gender imbalance on Wikipedia, open data and the climate crisis, Wikipedia in education and even more. I think the standout for me was some of the AI discussions, thinking about how the Wikimedia movement could use AI but also the risks that would come along with them. Each session was really interesting and eye opening and great to hear views from people from all over the world. Throughout the conference I got to hear about all the different work that goes on in the Wikimedia movement.</p>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/wikimania_katowice_2024_-_opening_ceremony_wikimedian_of_the_year_awards_32/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="200" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Marching Band at Wikimania Opening Ceremony" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/1024px-wikimania_katowice_2024_ksp_005/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="200" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Wikimania Entrance" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="201" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-300x201.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Wikimania Opening Ceremony" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-300x201.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-768x513.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544.jpg 1306w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6316/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Pottery Painting at Wikimania" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6326/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Traditional Polish Choir" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6565/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Lighting Talk at Wikimania" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<p><br /><br />Not only were there many interesting sessions, the conference also included lots of entertainment – an opening ceremony with a Polish marching band and awards for the standout Wikimedians presented by Jimmy Wales (the founder of Wikipedia), a pottery painting class where we got to paint our own mug. I really enjoyed this activity. It was a lovely calming moment in a busy conference. There was also a performance from a traditional Polish choir, and a closing ceremony with a performance from the Wiki Orchestra , a group of talented musicians from the Wikimedia community playing a beautiful piece by Chopin. Then to finish a closing party in the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra with Wikimedians mingling and dancing to celebrate the end of a successful 4 day conference full of collaboration, learning, and cultural exchange.</p>
<p><br />During my free time, I also explored Katowice. I visited the Silesian Museum (An old mine that had since been repurposed), walked around appreciating the city’s architecture, and tried local cuisine such as Polish dumplings (called pierogies). They were delicious! On my way back, I flew out of Krakow, so I got to see some of that city as well, taking a walk around the old town, visiting the castle, strolling along the river, and exploring the Jewish quarter. It was exciting being able to explore and learn about both these cities that I hadn’t visited before.</p>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6400/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Silesian Museum" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6518/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Panteon Górnośląski w Katowicach" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6544/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Garrison Church" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6552/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Buildings in Katowice on Juliusxa Slowackiego" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6609/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Horse and Carriage in Krakow" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6621/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="St Mary's Basilica, Krakow" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<p><br /><br />Now back in Edinburgh with lots of work to continue, I’m reflecting on what was an enriching experience for which I am very grateful. I’m proud to have presented at an international conference, which will definitely boost my confidence. It was inspiring to see the variety of work happening within the Wikimedia community, such as the resilience of the Ukrainian community during the ongoing war. The conference felt like a community that was excited to meet and learn from one another and I’m glad to have been part of it.<br /><br /></p>
<div id="attachment_450" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-450" class="wp-image-450 size-large" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-1024x1024.jpeg" alt="Wikimania 2024 Group Photo" width="740" height="740" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media.jpeg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><p id="caption-attachment-450" class="wp-caption-text">Wikimania 2024 Group Photo</p></div>
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<time datetime="2024-08-19" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 19, 2024</time>
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<title>Remembering Scotland’s Accused Witches: Books, Plays and Memorials</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/internship-wrap-up/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/internship-wrap-up/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Aug 2023 15:55:59 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=402</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I am writing this blog post on the final day of my internship. The 12 weeks have flown by! Over this period, a lot of progress has been made to the new version of the site. This has consisted of:• Quality checking the data by comparing the data from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft to […]]]></description>
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<p style="text-align: left">I am writing this blog post on the final day of my internship. The 12 weeks have flown by! Over this period, a lot of progress has been made to the new version of the site.</p>
<p style="text-align: left"><br />This has consisted of:<br />• Quality checking the data by comparing the data from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft to the data on Wikidata.<br />• Making improvements and getting rid of bugs on the website .<br />• User testing sessions.</p>
<p style="text-align: left"><br />You can read more about these in the previous blog posts. However, there is still progress to be made so I am going to continue to work on this project one day a week when I return to university in September! This will allow us to make sure we are fully confident with the data being used and the happy with the content of the website before releasing the new version of the website. The new version of the website includes lots of exciting new information and features such as accusations of shapeshifting and ritual objects plotted on a filterable map, custom timeline searches, a <a href="http://www.histropedia.com/">Histropedia</a> timeline where you can do name searches and filtering by age of accused and a new historic map layer using <a href="https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=10.6&lat=55.91496&lon=-3.36726&layers=125140579&b=1">the 1750 Dorret georeferenced map from National Library of Scotland</a>.</p>
<p>If you want to find out more about what I’ve been working on watch this video below:</p>
<iframe loading="lazy" src="about:blank" data-bs-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DKwfk7mgxk0?feature=oembed" width="660" height="544" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Over the past 2 weeks I’ve had the opportunity to attend interesting witch related events at the Edinburgh festivals. I went to a talk at Edinburgh International Book Festival with the authors Mairi Kidd (<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/we-are-all-witches/mairi-kidd/9781785304132">We Are All Witches</a> ) and Allyson Shaw (<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/ashes-and-stones/allyson-shaw/9781529395457">Ashes and Stone</a>) who have written books about the accused witches of Scotland which they discussed in this talk. “We Are All Witches” tells fictionalised accounts of 16 of the accused witches based on the information available and “Ashes and Stones” follows the authors journey visiting memorials of the accused witches around Scotland. This highlighted the importance and relevance of telling the individual stories and the memorialisation of those who suffered.</p>
<p>With my manager I also went to see a play at the fringe called <a href="https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/prick">Prick</a>, which told the stories of some of the executed women accused of witchcraft including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isobel_Gowdie">Issobell Gowdie</a>. These were both really inspiring, emotional and evocative events. I think after spending so long working with the data you begin to forget that these were real people and not just entries on a database, I was really reminded of how horrific, unjust and inhumane the trials and sufferings these women went through really were, which enforced in my mind the importance of sharing their stories. Also, both the authors at the book talk and the playwright of Prick used the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft as one of their primary resources when researching the Scottish witch trials which was a reminder of how valuable the data we are working with is.</p>
<div id="attachment_405" style="width: 349px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-405" class=" wp-image-405" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/booktalk-e1692977642502-225x300.jpg" alt="Mairi Kidd & Allyson Shaw: Who Are the Real Witches? - Book Festival Talk" width="339" height="452" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/booktalk-e1692977642502-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/booktalk-e1692977642502.jpg 480w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 339px) 100vw, 339px" /><p id="caption-attachment-405" class="wp-caption-text">Mairi Kidd & Allyson Shaw: Who Are the Real Witches? – Book Festival Talk</p></div>
<p>After going to both events it was really in our minds how important it is to remember and learn from these people’s stories and the there is a lot of interest in how they are memorialised. This has lead us to decide we will begin working on the idea we had to create a map of memorials for the accused witches. So people can see in one place the memorials that local areas have dedicated to the accused witches that were subject to the trials, torture and executions. We have started researching this by borrowing the book <a href="https://beul-aithris-publishing.onlineweb.shop/Witch_Memorials_of_Scotland/p6366266_20228504.aspx"><em>Witch Memorials of Scotland</em> by Gregor Stewart</a> from the University library. We also met with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Goodare">Professor Julian Goodare</a> to update him on the progress that has been made, ask him for advice, make use of his expertise and discuss our future ideas going forward such as the map of memorials.</p>
<div id="attachment_406" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-406" class="size-medium wp-image-406" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-300x157.jpg" alt="Ruby and Professor Julian Goodare" width="300" height="157" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-300x157.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-768x402.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image.jpg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-406" class="wp-caption-text">Ruby and Professor Julian Goodare</p></div>
<p><br />Overall, this internship has been a great experience because not only have I learnt lots of new technical skills (programming in R, Vue JavaScript framework, Wikidata, Sparql queries, user testing and user interface design) and professional skills (communication, teamwork and time management) I have also got to learn lots about this dark period of Scottish history through lots of different mediums. I’ve been inspired to learn more in my own time and have read <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/hex/jenni-fagan/9781846976223">Hex</a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenni_Fagan">Jenni Fagan</a> which tells an imagining of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geillis_Duncan">Geillis Duncan</a>‘s last night. This has made me passionate about working on this project as I’ve realised the real world value and impact of helping people to understand the stories and individuals behind this data. I’m looking forward to continuing this work and launching the new version of the site which hopefully further shares these individual stories as best we can.</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2023-08-25" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 25, 2023</time>
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<title>From Witches to Widgets: A Witchfinder Intern’s Update</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/from-witches-to-widgets-a-witchfinder-interns-update/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/from-witches-to-widgets-a-witchfinder-interns-update/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:14:50 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Internship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=383</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Hello, It’s been a while since my last blog post so it’s time for an update about my time as Witchfinder General Data Visualisation intern! Since my last post, I’ve been busy as ever, diving into the world of data quality assuring, tinkering with our website, and getting some insights from users and lots of […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Hello, It’s been a while since my last blog post so it’s time for an update about my time as Witchfinder General Data Visualisation intern! Since my last post, I’ve been busy as ever, diving into the world of data quality assuring, tinkering with our website, and getting some insights from users and lots of other fun and interesting experiences.</p>
<div id="attachment_389" style="width: 298px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-389" class=" wp-image-389" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-225x300.jpg" alt="Photo of Me Working on the Website" width="288" height="384" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal.jpg 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px" /><p id="caption-attachment-389" class="wp-caption-text">Working on the Website in Argyle House</p></div>
<p><br />My role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of our data continues. With the aim of making sure our users get the most reliable insights and facts meanwhile respecting the original work of Survey of Scottish Witchcraft. I have now compared lots of fields including place of detention, primary & secondary case characteristics, cause of death, manner of death and lots more. From this I have been able to see that some information has been discovered since the Survey and added to Wikidata. I have made sure that all this information is referenced to trustworthy verifiable sources, ensuring that our website has the most accurate and up to date information possible. You can keep track of my progress <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Scotland%27s_Accused_Witches/To_do">on our Wikidata project page here</a>.</p>
<div id="attachment_386" style="width: 495px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-386" class=" wp-image-386" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-300x143.png" alt="New Feature on the Website which allows you to see historic version of Map" width="485" height="231" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-300x143.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-1024x489.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-768x367.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-1536x734.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-1440x688.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px" /><p id="caption-attachment-386" class="wp-caption-text">New Historic Map Fearure</p></div>
<p><br />I’ve added some cool features to our website! You can now travel back in time with our historical map layer. After discussing different map layers with <span class="ui-provider fz b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">Chris Fleet at National Library of Scotland we selected <a href="https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=12.2&lat=55.92314&lon=-3.22392&layers=125140579&b=1">the 1750 georeferenced James Dorret map</a>. </span>This lets you see how things looked closer to the time of the accused witches. Plus, we’ve made it easier for users to pick and choose what they want to see with the select and deselect buttons and changing the list of filters to alphabetical order. And I’ve been on a bug-hunting mission to get rid of them and make sure everything runs smoothly to make the website easier to navigate. We have had several other ideas of how we can make our website more engaging and informative, one of these ideas was to add some illustrations to the website to help users understand what information is being displayed to them. So I talked to one of the other interns Ally who is working on an interactive colouring in book. She came out with some initial ideas that could be used as icons for the accusations of Shapeshifting and the Ritual Objects supposed used and they turned out great! However, we have some concerns relating to including modern illustrations on our website. We are worried it could distract from the academic historical work or misrepresent some of these historical ideas (e.g. Shapeshifting) that we are referring to.</p>
<div id="attachment_398" style="width: 325px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-398" class=" wp-image-398" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-300x155.jpg" alt="Concept Illustrations for Website" width="315" height="163" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-300x155.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-1024x527.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-768x396.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-1536x791.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-1440x742.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px" /><p id="caption-attachment-398" class="wp-caption-text">Concept Illustrations for Website</p></div>
<p>I also ran 7 user testing sessions with support from the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/user-experience">User Experience team</a> who’s aim is to deliver user-centred products. I initially met with members of the team and they informed me that the best way to improve the user experience of the website would be to find out what needs improving by conducting user testing. They gave me lots of advice on how to go about these sessions and for one of my first sessions helped me take notes. We decided to test on users who were experts on history and some people with very little previous knowledge on witches! So I reached out to <span class="ui-provider fz b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">Assistant Professor Mikki Brock, Witches of Scotland podcasters, Dr. Chris Langley and other interns to see if they would be interested in participating, and they all were! </span>This range of knowledge was really useful to see how the different types of users interacted with the website, this is important as these are both user groups that our website in intended for. I would give the users tasks to complete on the site and watch them complete them, taking notes and then ask them questions to hear their thoughts and advice. Their feedback will help guide us towards the best version of the website possible. I’ve shared their insights with the team, and together we’re deciding what we came take from it to make improvements to the site.</p>
<p><br />As part of my internship, I’ve also had some pretty cool experiences beyond the screen. A trip to <a href="https://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/whats-on/">St Celias Hall</a>, a musical instrument museum, was a really interesting experience that I learnt lots of new information from. I’ve also dabbled in Wikipedia writing after attending a Wikipedia training session, I researched and wrote a page about the accused witch <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issobell_Fergussone">Issobelle Fergesoune</a>. It’s great to be able to write about the accused witches individual stories as this humanizes them and helps people understand what they really went through. Also, I have attended several team meetings, where coffee and cake were involved!</p>
<div id="attachment_392" style="width: 297px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-392" class=" wp-image-392" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-225x300.jpg" alt="Musical Instruments in St Celia's Hall" width="287" height="383" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 287px) 100vw, 287px" /><p id="caption-attachment-392" class="wp-caption-text">Musical Instruments in St Celia’s Hall</p></div>
<p>So, what’s next? I have two quite big challenges to focus on, one being making sure the website is mobile responsive and the other being trying to reduce the load time when opening the website. Currently, the website can takes some time to load because there is huge amounts of data being pulled. This will be quite technically difficult to solve. Our approach is going to be separating the queries pulling the data into smaller queries so less data is being pulled at once. The load time is very important to user experience and something that was mentioned several times in the user testing sessions. Hopefully after these improvements the new version of the website will be one step closer to being released!</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2023-08-08" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 8, 2023</time>
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<title>Weeks 2 and 3 – Unravelling Anomalies and Starting the Website Transformation</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-2-and-3-unravelling-anomalies-and-starting-the-website-transformation/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-2-and-3-unravelling-anomalies-and-starting-the-website-transformation/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 Jun 2023 06:31:51 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=377</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I am now coming the end of my third week as the Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation intern and time has flown by. Over the past 2 weeks I have begun on the journey of Quality Assuring the data and improving the website. This process began by dealing with the anomalies between the names and […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span data-contrast="auto">I am now coming the end of my third week as the Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation intern and time has flown by. Over the past 2 weeks I have begun on the journey of Quality Assuring the data and improving the website. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">This process began by dealing with the anomalies between the names and gender of accused witches that the previous intern, Claire had found and then after consulting with<a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/history-classics-archaeology/about-us/staff-profiles/profile_tab5_academic.php?uun=jgoodare&search=2¶ms="> Professor Julian Goodare</a> about these differences making the corresponding necessary changes in wikidata. Then I began with looking at different properties, starting with social class and occupation. From this I discovered there was some differences with the wording of some of the values used in the Survey and in Wikidata. This was because there are some very Survey-specific terms related to witch hunts in 16th century Scotland and a 21st century platform like Wikidata has items of data that are of more general use with often more modern definitions of terms as a community knowledgebase of open linked data. It is also because language changes over time and the definitions and use of terms and placenames has changed since the 16th century. Where possible it is better to use a common language of terms so that the data can be explored and parsed more easily. However, if there are stark differences then it is better to make sure that Wikidata has terms suitable for explaining the specific nature of terms of the information contained within the Survey so that there is no loss of meaning or misrepresentation creeping in. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_380" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-380" class="wp-image-380 size-medium" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/wordTable-300x224.png" alt="Anomalies in Value Labels between Wikidata and the Survey" width="300" height="224" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/wordTable-300x224.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/wordTable.png 463w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-380" class="wp-caption-text">Anomalies in Value Labels between Wikidata and the Survey</p></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">In most cases Professor Julian Goodare, lecturer in History and project Director of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft database (2003), approved of these cases but he suggested that </span><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q54128"><b><span data-contrast="auto">domestic worker</span></b></a><span data-contrast="auto"> did not give appropriate meaning and that adding a new value <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q119574553"><strong>servant</strong> </a>would represent the work they did more accurately so I changed every accused witch on Wikidata that was down a domestic worker to servant using <a href="https://quickstatements.toolforge.org/#/">Quickstatements</a>. Once we had confirmed that the rest of the terms being used in Wikidata were suitable, there was no anomalies left for social class but there was some for occupation. There were some witches in Wikidata where some additional occupations had been added that were not mentioned in the survey. We sent these to Prof. Julian Goodare and he looked through his resources and verified whether these occupations were accurate and provided us with a reference that could be added to Wikidata. This is part of the benefit of working with open linked data where multiple values can be added by a community of users if it aids and augments the data. It does need to be verifiable however so adding a reference to back up statements being added is key.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Looking at residence property was my next hurdle and it proved to be a more difficult and time consuming task than the previous properties. This was because in the Survey there were numerous columns of locations for each accused witch – settlement, parish, presbytery, county and burgh – and on Wikidata different locations have been chosen depending on which residence Emma.. ( the first student intern to work on this project) was able to find. Emma worked with georeferenced historic maps from the National Library of Scotland and placename books to try and identify which placename listed in the five columns of data in the Survey could be geolocated on a map to be the most specific place of residence for each accused witch we could approximate a co-ordinate location for. This means there is a lot of differences between the survey data and Wikidata to look through, so this is something I am still working on , as there are 820 locations to look at.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">I have also began working on the website improvements. This began by creating a list of all the things we would like to change/add and categorising them into bugs, new features, and navigation improvements. And we also had a meeting with Prof. Julian Goodare to discuss potential additions with him. Lots of great ideas came out of this meeting such as filming an explainer video for the ‘About’ webpage that would give an introduction this project, the background of the survey of Scottish witchcraft and a guide to the website. Once we had completed a categorised list, I had a meeting with the web development team, Andrew and Richard, and we played ‘scrum poker’, a method for each of us guesstimating how long each development task might take. The next stage was to start working through these tasks and prioritising any bugs.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The navigation and user interface of the test site of the website is something that needs improved before making this version available to the public. We reached out to the ISG’s User Experience (UX) Service to see if they could provide us with any support on this side of things. We had a meeting with them to give them an introduction the project and website, give our ideas, answer their questions and gauge the kind of support they could give us. I think the main goal of the site is to make a good resource for people interested in witches but also those with no prior knowledge. Since the website was first released loads of visualisations were added to the test site of version 2 by Maggie and Josep, our student interns in Summer 2022. These have provided great new insights but have caused for the navigational layout of the site to become slightly unorganised. It is often hard to find what you are looking for or understand what you are looking at. Ahead of the meeting with the UX team, I created some mock ups showing how we could change the navigation so that all the maps of accused witches are in the same place (discoverable in the left hand menu pictured below) and you can explore the map with different filters and read contextual text explaining each visualisation. This way people are more likely to view and understand more of the information. We are soon to have a follow up meeting with them to discuss things further.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_378" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-378" class="wp-image-378 size-medium" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web1-300x131.png" alt="Mock-up of Web Improvements" width="300" height="131" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web1-300x131.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web1.png 683w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-378" class="wp-caption-text">Mock-up of Web Improvements</p></div></p>
<p><div id="attachment_379" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-379" class="wp-image-379 size-medium" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web2-300x136.png" alt="Mock-up of Web Improvements" width="300" height="136" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web2-300x136.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web2.png 681w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-379" class="wp-caption-text">Mock-up of Web Improvements</p></div></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Overall, I have really enjoyed my first few weeks. I have been able to work on a variation of tasks including web development, data assurance and Wikidata. This has kept things interesting and exciting and I have learnt so much already from new technical skills to greater historical knowledge of what happened to these accused witches. have had meetings with lots of interesting people all providing valuable ideas to the project. I have also met lots of other interns and staff at various events such as the welcome lunch, home baking morning and the all staff BBQ. I am excited to continue the work I have done so far.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2023-06-28" itemprop="dateModified">Jun 28, 2023</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>A Witchfinder’s Quest : Ensuring Data Accuracy & Enhancing the Website</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/witchfinders-data-accuracy-website/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/witchfinders-data-accuracy-website/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 Jun 2023 09:05:50 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Internship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=366</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Hi! I’m Ruby and I’m a 3rd year undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh studying Computer Science. And I am the new Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation Intern and I am going to be continuing with the great work of the previous interns that have worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. So far, […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi! I’m Ruby and I’m a 3<sup>rd</sup> year undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh studying Computer Science. And I am the new Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation Intern and I am going to be continuing with the great work of the previous interns that have worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. So far, many amazing visualisations have been created and added to the website that make it a great educational resource that everyone can access.</p>
<p>These visualisations have been based on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Database created by academics in the early 2000’s. Key information from this database has been uploaded to <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Main_Page">Wikidata</a>, allowing for this data to be more accessible to a large community, and has allowed editing and augmentation by members of the Wikidata community. Most visualisations on the website are creating using the data from Wikidata. Wikidata is part of the Wikimedia family, and is a free and open knowledge base composed of structured data that is used in Wikipedia and projects such as this one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><div id="attachment_367" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-367" class="size-medium wp-image-367" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-300x225.jpg" alt="Familiarizing myself with the datasets and the current website" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1.jpg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-367" class="wp-caption-text">Familiarizing myself with the datasets and the current website</p></div></p>
<p><strong>My Goals for Working on this Project</strong></p>
<p>Since the data has been uploaded to Wikidata, it means there may be differences between the Wikidata and the orginal survey data due to the possibility of import errors and other users editing the data. It is important that we check that the data is all this accurate in order to prevent the spread of misinformation and to respect the original historical record, the historical events, what happened to these women, and the work of the researchers on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft. The intern previous to me, Claire Panella, developed a method using R Studio to find the entries that don’t match between Wikidata and the original Survey of Scottish Witches databases. She first completed checking the gender and then the names of the accused witches matched the Survey, from this it was discovered there was several anomalies. One of my roles while pursuing this internship is to continue this work of quality assuring the linked open data used in our website. This will be approached by using Claire’s methodology to check all the different variables displayed in the visualisations, then verifying what changes need made by consulting with academic expert colleagues before making any of the changes. This way we will know the information we are displaying is the most accurate version possible. Although, because this is historical data there are omissions and inexactitudes that by opening up the data to a public audience we hope to be able to further scrutinise and improve on what we know about this dark period of Scottish history.</p>
<p>Along with quality assuring the data I will be working on improving the <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">website</a> in order, with the aim of users being able to gain as much from the website as possible. This will in involve making some changes to the user interface in order to make it more accessible and usable by making it more user friendly and easier to navigate. Furthermore, adding any visualisations that we believe will provide insightful information to users of the website. For example, I had the idea of creating a heatmap to show the distribution of the accused witches across Scotland. Whilst working on the website, we will gather ideas and opinions from experts in all things Wiki and Witches!</p>
<p><strong>My First Week</strong></p>
<p>During my first week on this project, I dedicated my time to familiarizing myself with the datasets, which comprise a substantial database with over 3,000 entries. This extensive collection contains a wealth of information about each accused witch, their respective witch trials, and the overarching investigations into witchcraft. Consequently, there were many aspects to consider, and this gave me a lot to think about.</p>
<p>In order for me to effectively use <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Main_Page">Wikidata</a>, a platform I had limited knowledge about before starting this project, I engaged with various members of the Wikidata community. These individuals offered valuable advice and guidance as I begin navigate this project. In order to make the most of Wikidata’s capabilities, I devoted time to learning how to effectively utilize Sparql (a query language for databases) and Openrefine (an open-source tool specifically designed for working with untidy datasets).</p>
<p>Furthermore, this project has required the development of new skills to effectively manipulate the databases and improve the website. In this pursuit, I acquainted myself with R Studio, a programming language I had not previously worked with. I discovered that R Studio offers a user-friendly interface along with robust statistical and data analysis functionalities, making it a suitable choice of software for the project’s requirements. Additionally, I followed tutorials on Vue.js, the JavaScript framework employed for constructing the website.</p>
<p>Over the past year, interns previous to me have worked on a version 2 of the website with some changes made and extra visualisations added to the website. This version currently has not been made public. Over the course of my internship we hope to get this version to a completed stage and make this version public. To kickstart the process, I engaged in brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for the website. Subsequently, I organized and prioritized these ideas, ensuring a clear direction for the project.</p>
<p>I’m really excited to work on this project. As a Computer Science student, I have some experience with working with large datasets and creating data visualizations and working on web applications, and I am excited to be able to develop these skills. Meanwhile, getting to learn to learn a lot about this historic event and work on a great resource that can educate people on one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in Scottish History.<br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2023-06-12" itemprop="dateModified">Jun 12, 2023</time><br />
</span></p>
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<item>
<title>Finding Impossible Witches: Part One The Search Begins</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/finding-impossible-witches-part-one/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/finding-impossible-witches-part-one/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[cpanella]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2023 15:38:47 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[claire panella]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[open data]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=351</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Inheriting the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Project Hi! I’m Claire, a 4th year undergraduate studying International Relations with Quantitative Methods at the University of Edinburgh, and the latest in a long line of interns and others who’ve worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. The data involved in this project was originally compiled in […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b><span data-contrast="none">Inheriting the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Project</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">Hi! I’m Claire, a 4</span><span data-contrast="none">th</span><span data-contrast="none"> year undergraduate studying International Relations with Quantitative Methods at the University of Edinburgh, and the latest in a long line of interns and others who’ve worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. The data involved in this project was originally compiled in a Microsoft Access Database by academics in the early 2000’s. Since then, key information from the database has been added to Wikidata, allowing for greater accessibility as well as editing and augmentation by members of the Wikidata community. People have done lots of great things with this data, including </span><a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/"><span data-contrast="none">all the visualisations</span></a><span data-contrast="none"> put together by the previous data visualisation interns, but now that the data is stored across several different platforms, it’s important to make sure that these versions are reconciled. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">My role is to find the ‘Impossible Witches’; those entries which don’t m</span><span data-contrast="none">atch between Wikidata and the original Access database.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_353" style="width: 566px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-353" class="wp-image-353" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-300x219.jpg" alt="" width="556" height="406" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-300x219.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-1024x747.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-768x560.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 556px) 100vw, 556px" /><p id="caption-attachment-353" class="wp-caption-text">Working away making my first comparisons in R. By Claire Panella, Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0</p></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none"> </span><b><span data-contrast="none">Checking against the database item by item</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">My initial approach to this was to use R to compare between csv files exported from the Access database, and csv files accessed by querying Wikidata. This required downloading both files, checking to make sure variable labels matched, combining the datasets, and isolating the cases where the information didn’t match iso I could look through and see where the issues were.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">For some features, like gender, a lot of information h</span><span data-contrast="none">as been added to Wikidata that isn’t present in the survey, but there are very few cases where </span><span data-contrast="none">Wikidata and the survey have conflicting information.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><div id="attachment_354" style="width: 554px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-354" class="wp-image-354" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/gender-anomalies-300x169.png" alt="" width="544" height="306" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/gender-anomalies-300x169.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/gender-anomalies.png 602w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px" /><p id="caption-attachment-354" class="wp-caption-text">Anomalies in Gender between Wikidata and the Survey</p></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">In others, like Name, the situation is a bit more complicated. Sometimes the spellings vary between Wikidata and the Survey – this could be for a few reasons, and to add to the complications, both data sources have multiple name categories – the survey includes both modern and historical first and last names, while Wikidata includes both an Item Identifier and aliases. I’ve also looked for exact matches between the text from each source, so some inconsistencies just have to do with capitalisation and spacing. Really, it’s impressive there are only 23 anomalies!</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_352" style="width: 543px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-352" class="wp-image-352" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/name-anomalies-300x170.png" alt="" width="533" height="302" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/name-anomalies-300x170.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/name-anomalies.png 602w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px" /><p id="caption-attachment-352" class="wp-caption-text">Anomalies in Name between Wikidata and the Survey</p></div></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">My goal now is to come up with a solid procedure to check wikidata entri</span><span data-contrast="none">es against the survey so we can be sure we’re consistent and accurate in which data changes we keep. After that, I’ll work on a methodology to pass on to whomever the next ‘Witchfinder General’ is so that we can keep track of data changes as the project continues to grow and evolve. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">As I look for a method to continuously check for differences between the original survey data and the most up to date version of Wikidata, I’ve turned to the Wikidata community for help. Ewan reached out to his contacts, and I reached out via <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Project_chat">Project Chat</a> as well as a Slack channel for <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_LD4_Wikidata_Affinity_Group">libraries using Wikidata</a>. Different users have responded with various suggestions. One Wikidata user suggested a library I could use to efficiently link R with SPARQL queries, and some of Ewan’s contacts gave suggestions for the general workflow I could follow in creating a shareable methodology. One of the most helpful suggestions was that I use a tool called prompter, which would allow me to compare the results of a SPARQL query to a stable csv and store anomalies as a table on the Wikidata project page. While this looks like a great idea, it has led us to run into another of the common problems involved in working with Wikidata – not all of the tools are maintained. The </span><a href="https://prompter.toolforge.org/prompter"><span data-contrast="none">Prompter</span></a><span data-contrast="none"> tool was designed by the Every Politician Project, which was placed on indefinite pause in June 2019. This means that while the documentation for the tool still exists, it no longer works as a template in Wikidata. For me, this has been a valuable lesson on the pros and cons of working with a platform run and maintained by volunteers. Still, we are continuing to get great advice from Wikimedians around the world. A new goal of mine for the end of this project is to create a workable and well documented method that I can easily share, so I have something to give back to the community that has helped me so much throughout this project. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2023-04-05" itemprop="dateModified">Apr 5, 2023</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>Weeks 9 and 10 – Sweeping the Cobwebs(ite)</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-9-and-10-cleaning-the-cobwebsite/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-9-and-10-cleaning-the-cobwebsite/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[jgarcia7]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:44:34 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=330</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Site re-development – Filtering Witchcraft Hi, this is Josep again! We are currently in Week 10 of our internship, and time is starting to become a limiting factor. Since my last blog post in Week 4 a lot of things have been going on, and in this post I am going to be explaining how […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Site re-development – Filtering Witchcraft</h2>
<p>Hi, this is Josep again! We are currently in Week 10 of our internship, and time is starting to become a limiting factor. Since my last blog post in Week 4 a lot of things have been going on, and in this post I am going to be explaining how the plans I had back then have turned out, what I have managed to accomplish, and the things I still have left to do in the two remaining weeks.</p>
<p>In week 5, I implemented the new filtering algorithm, and everything went rather smoothly – although I had to change the whole data structure. I think this was a significant improvement, as things ran a bit faster, we only had to keep one copy of the array we use to plot, and the code was neater.</p>
<p>However, after that I then spent quite a few days implementing a way to share filter status data across pages, so that when the user changed pages they would have the same filters on as they had in the previous page. Nevertheless, in order to do this without a backend I had to hardcode the filters array into something called Vue Store (so that its state could be accessed from all pages).</p>
<p>The nature of this array meant that it had to change if the data in the database changed, so I would also need a dynamic check, and I thought it was fine because the data is not likely to change, and I had a dynamic check implement just in case it did. But when I pushed the code over for review, the rest of the team felt it was not ideal to have something both static and dynamic at the same time, which in hindsight I agreed with.</p>
<p>Then I thought I could build the list dynamically and then enter it into the Vue Store, but once I had that implemented I realised that that didn’t work because of caching we were doing (which is quite important because of loading time issues). Therefore, in the end we decided we would just not have the filters share across pages until we had a backend. Back then it was a bit difficult as I felt I had wasted quite a lot of time, but at the same time it was a valuable learning experience!</p>
<p>With the new filtering functionality done, I then started changing the filtering user interface to move it to the left of the page, and with the help of the rest of the team I think we managed to get a pretty neat, professional looking design. This is what it is looking like now:</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-332 aligncenter" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-12-at-13.34.59-300x175.png" alt="" width="566" height="331" /></p>
<p>This was the last thing I did before leaving to Spain for holidays for a week.Right now, I have been back from holidays for a bit less than two weeks. In the time that I have been back, I have been working on developing a responsive timeline for the Leaflet Map pages and refactoring the code in order to be able to add more map pages with more filters very easy once Maggie has finished adding all the new data on to WikiData, which should be any time now.</p>
<p>Other than doing these two things, I was hoping to have time to add a backend in Python to process all the data after querying WikiData (as of now there is no backend and we do it in the front-end’s JavaScript) since we will have quite a lot of new data to process, and we are afraid the loading time will significantly increase. However, in the end it has been decided that I shouldn’t do the back end in Python since the team say that they can’t maintain a Python backend in the long term once I’m gone, as they work in PHP. I will try and have time to do the backend in PHP, but I would have to learn it from scratch and there are a lot more other bits and pieces that need doing!</p>
<h2>The Data Side of Things</h2>
<p>I was off for most of last week as I was in Turkey holidaying for a couple of days, but was back on Thursday for more data work! I finished processing the <strong>witches’ meeting places</strong> and <strong>what went down</strong> in these meetings, as well as the <strong>calendar customs </strong>that were mentioned in the witchcraft investigations. Looking at <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112321273">Agnes Sampson’s investigation</a> page, you can see all the juicy new details we’ve fitted into the Wikidata data model from the Survey and processed using OpenRefine.</p>
<p>Speaking of OpenRefine, I am currently planning and scripting a little tutorial for users of the software or even future interns as I have really enjoyed how intuitive and helpful it’s been for this project. This should be recorded in the next week so keep your eyes peeled…</p>
<p>This week, I started off with doing some data cleaning. Previously, before we created case items for each witchcraft investigation, the <strong>shapeshifting</strong> and <strong>ritual objects</strong> data was added to the accused witches’ items. Some helpful Wikidatans saw this duplication and started deleting statements, so we decided we needed to clean this up to not cause confusion.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-336 aligncenter" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-300x111.png" alt="" width="586" height="217" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-300x111.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-1024x379.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-768x284.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-1536x568.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-1440x533.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 586px) 100vw, 586px" /></p>
<p>Using the same Google sheet that was used to add the shapeshifting information, I used the handy “<em>Export to QuickStatements</em>” option to get all the edits into QuickStatements syntax. I did this as with QuickStatements, it’s easy to remove specific statements by <strong>prefixing</strong> a line with a <strong>minus sign. </strong></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-337 aligncenter" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-300x154.png" alt="" width="399" height="205" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-300x154.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-1024x526.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-768x394.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357.png 1430w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px" /></p>
<p>After this, I started to think about extracting the data added to Wikidata using the Wikidata Query Service. We have been in contact with Navino Evans, one of the co-founders of <a href="http://www.histropedia.com/">Histropedia</a>, to help us with the complex SPARQL query. <a href="https://query.wikidata.org/#SELECT%20distinct%20%3Fitem%20%3FitemLabel%20%3FinvestigationDate%0A%3FresidenceLabel%20%3FresidenceCoords%20%3FsexLabel%20%3Flink%20%3FoccupationLabel%20%3FsocialClassificationLabel%0A%3FplaceOfDeathLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20%3FmannerOfDeathLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%0A%0A%23Newly%20added%0A%3Finvestigation%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3FinvestigationEnd%0A%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fqualities%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FchargeWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fcharges%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FritualObjectLabel%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FritualObjects%29%0A%0AWHERE%0A%7B%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Fwitch%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP551%20%3Fresidence%20.%0A%20%20%3Fresidence%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FresidenceCoords%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Flink%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP21%20%3Fsex%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP106%20%3Foccupation%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP3716%20%3FsocialClassification%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP1196%20%3FmannerOfDeath%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP2632%20%3FdetentionLocation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FdetentionLocation%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%23%20INVESTIGATION%0A%20%0A%20%20%23OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP793%20%3Finvestigation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP31%20wd%3AQ66458810%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%3B%20to%20repeat%20%3Finvestigation%20again%20without%20having%20to%20write%20it%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20wdt%3AP580%7Cwdt%3AP585%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%7C%20symbol%20to%20mean%20%22OR%22%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP582%20%3FinvestigationEnd%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Quality%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20WITH%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1552%20%3FhasQualityNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20ps%3AP1552%20%3FhasQuality%20.%20%23%20main%20value%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%20%23%20%22including%22%20qualifier%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20pq%3AP1012%20%3FqualityIncluding%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FqualityIncluding%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQuality%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FhasQualityLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FhasQualityLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20as%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Charge%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1595%20%3FchargeNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeNode%20ps%3AP1595%20%3Fcharge%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeNode%20pq%3AP4675%20%3Fform%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Fform%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FformLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FformLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Fcharge%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FchargeLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FchargeLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FformLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FchargeLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FformLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeLabel%29%20as%20%3FchargeWithQualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Ritual%20object%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20but%20WITHOUT%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP8706%20%3FritualObject%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FritualObject%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FritualObjectLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FritualObjectLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%23%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20SERVICE%20wikibase%3Alabel%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20bd%3AserviceParam%20wikibase%3Alanguage%20%22%5BAUTO_LANGUAGE%5D%2Cen%22.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0AGROUP%20BY%20%3Fitem%20%3FitemLabel%20%3FinvestigationDate%20%3FresidenceLabel%20%3FresidenceCoords%20%3FsexLabel%20%3Flink%0A%3FoccupationLabel%20%3FsocialClassificationLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20%3FmannerOfDeathLabel%0A%3FdetentionLocationLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%20%3Finvestigation%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3FinvestigationEnd">This</a> was the working example he sent us, and I used this example to try my hand at adding <strong>calendar customs</strong> and <strong>witches’ meeting places </strong>to the query (the data I added recently), with this <a href="https://query.wikidata.org/#SELECT%20distinct%20%3Fitem%20%3FitemLabel%20%3FinvestigationDate%0A%3FresidenceLabel%20%3FresidenceCoords%20%3FsexLabel%20%3Flink%20%3FoccupationLabel%20%3FsocialClassificationLabel%0A%3FplaceOfDeathLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20%3FmannerOfDeathLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%0A%0A%23Newly%20added%0A%3Finvestigation%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3FinvestigationEnd%0A%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fqualities%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FchargeWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fcharges%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FritualObjectLabel%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FritualObjects%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FcalendarCustomsLabel%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FcalendarCustoms%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FqualityWithLocation%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FmeetingPlaces%29%20%0A%0AWHERE%0A%7B%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Fwitch%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP551%20%3Fresidence%20.%0A%20%20%3Fresidence%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FresidenceCoords%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Flink%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP21%20%3Fsex%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP106%20%3Foccupation%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP3716%20%3FsocialClassification%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP1196%20%3FmannerOfDeath%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP2632%20%3FdetentionLocation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FdetentionLocation%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%23%20INVESTIGATION%0A%20%0A%20%20%23OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP793%20%3Finvestigation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP31%20wd%3AQ66458810%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%3B%20to%20repeat%20%3Finvestigation%20again%20without%20having%20to%20write%20it%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20wdt%3AP580%7Cwdt%3AP585%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%7C%20symbol%20to%20mean%20%22OR%22%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP582%20%3FinvestigationEnd%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Quality%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20WITH%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1552%20%3FhasQualityNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20ps%3AP1552%20%3FhasQuality%20.%20%23%20main%20value%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%20%23%20%22including%22%20qualifier%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20pq%3AP1012%20%3FqualityIncluding%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FqualityIncluding%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQuality%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FhasQualityLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FhasQualityLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20as%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Location%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20WITH%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1552%20%3FhasQualityNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20ps%3AP1552%20%3FhasQuality%20.%20%23%20main%20value%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%7B%20%20%23%20%22location%22%20qualifier%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20pq%3AP276%20%3FqualityLocation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FqualityLocation%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FqualityLocationLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FqualityLocationLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQuality%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FhasQualityLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FqualityLocationLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FhasQualityLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FqualityLocationLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20as%20%3FqualityWithLocation%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Charge%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1595%20%3FchargeNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeNode%20ps%3AP1595%20%3Fcharge%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%2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<p> </p>
<p> <br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2022-08-12" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 12, 2022</time><br />
</span></p>
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<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ewan McAndrew]]></dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[This post is the second written by LLB student Dervla Craig who has worked as our Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer researching and preparing a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid to preserve, and raise public engagement with, the accused witches of Scotland as an important part of Scotland’s heritage. As I sit to […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>This post is the second written by LLB student Dervla Craig who has worked as our Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer researching and preparing a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid to preserve, and raise public engagement with, the accused witches of Scotland as an important part of Scotland’s heritage.</strong></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">As I sit to write this blog post, my twelve-week internship is rapidly drawing to a close. How the time has flown! I have learned and achieved so much this summer, and it seems only appropriate that I reflect on and share what this experience has taught me through another blog post. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Since my first blog (</span><a href="https://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/preserving-scottish-heritage/"><span data-contrast="none">Preserving Scottish Heritage: The Accused Witches of Scotland</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">), my research and bid-writing have taken me down many different avenues. The more familiar I became with the past, however, the more questions arose about the present. Why is there still no appropriate memorial to the accused in Edinburgh? Does stigma still exist surrounding these persecuted individuals? How can we at the University best preserve and promote the individual stories of the accused and make sure they are not forgotten to history? Exploring these questions was extremely important for me in ensuring that I understood the context in which the bid lives and the landscape we would be entering with this project. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">In my search for answers to these questions, two main areas stuck out to me as requiring more work and attention to make sure the real, human stories of those accused of witchcraft are protected and valued now and into the future: increasing awareness, education, and understanding of the Scottish witch trials, and appropriately memorialising the victims who were accused, tortured and executed. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_1634" style="width: 639px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches-and-Witchcraft.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1634" class="size-large wp-image-1634" src="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches-and-Witchcraft-941x1024.jpg" alt="Information board about "Witches and Witchcraft" at the National Museum of Scotland. Pic by Ewan McAndrew, CC-BY-SA" width="629" height="684" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-1634" class="wp-caption-text">Information board about “Witches and Witchcraft” at the National Museum of Scotland. Pic by Ewan McAndrew, CC-BY-SA</p></div>
<h2><b><span data-contrast="auto">Education on the Scottish Witch Trials</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h2>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My line manager, Ewan McAndrew, and I have spent the last few weeks consulting with various organisations in an effort to realise the full potential of our bid. One area we explored was how we at the University, as a teaching and learning institution, could help facilitate education on the Scottish witch trials and use our accused witches’ dataset to combat negative perceptions of the accused exacerbated by entertainment-driven media portrayals. I researched the </span><a href="https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/curriculum-in-scotland/"><span data-contrast="none">Curriculum in Scotland </span></a><span data-contrast="auto">for secondary schools and was surprised to find that whilst adjacent topics such as King James VI and the Protestant Reformation are covered in detail, the witch trials themselves are largely overlooked. We also spoke with Jo Spiller and Judy Robertson from the University about their work on data education in schools and how our dataset could be a valuable resource. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">A huge opportunity for progress in this area came in week eight, when we visited the National Museum of Scotland to meet with Anna Groundwater, the Principal Curator of Renaissance and Early Modern History, Scottish History and Archaeology. She showed us the current witchcraft exhibit, which has remained unchanged for the twenty-seven years it has been on display, and discussed what updates could be made to accurately reflect the research that has taken place in the years since and modern attitudes towards the study of witchcraft and the witch trials. We also had a great conversation about promoting education on this dark period of Scottish history and how we can engage a wider audience with this heritage. This was my first professional meeting, and I am happy to report that it went very well. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":279}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_1635" style="width: 639px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches_Well.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1635" class="size-large wp-image-1635" src="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Witches_Well-1024x549.jpg" alt="Inscription plaque at the Witches Well memorial on Castlehill, Edinburgh. " width="629" height="337" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-1635" class="wp-caption-text">Inscription plaque at the Witches Well memorial on Castlehill, Edinburgh. Pic by (Lila), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons</p></div>
<h2><b><span data-contrast="auto">The issue of memorialisation</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h2>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">For centuries after the Scottish witch trials, sympathy for the accused was often seen as sympathy for the Devil and as such, there was not much research into the lives of those who were charged with the crime of witchcraft. Whilst modern attitudes have shifted to a more empathetic approach, the issue of memorialisation is still one of great controversy. </span><span data-contrast="none">The only memorial which stands in Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witches%27_Well,_Edinburgh">Witches’ Well</a> on Castle Hill, which is hidden away and has a problematic inscription that has been criticised for its historical inaccuracy and contention that while ‘<em>some used their exceptional knowledge for evil purposes while others were misunderstood and wished their kind nothing but good</em>‘. This assumption that those accused did indeed have supernatural abilities and that the brutality of the Scottish witch hunts was in any way justifiable is extremely harmful to the memory of the innocent people (85% of whom were women) that possessed no such powers but who were tortured and executed for being ‘witches’. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">The <a href="https://www.witchesofscotland.com/">Witches of Scotland</a> campaign group have long been advocating for a national memorial to the accused which would honour the victims in an appropriate way, and have even created a new, highly symbolic </span><a href="https://www.witchesofscotland.com/tartan"><span data-contrast="none">Tartan </span></a><span data-contrast="none"> pattern to honour the victims and act as a living memorial to them. (They also released a </span><a href="https://www.witchesofscotland.com/book"><span data-contrast="none">Book</span></a><span data-contrast="none"> called </span><i><span data-contrast="none">How to Kill a Witch: A Guide to the Patriarchy </span></i><span data-contrast="none">which is a brilliant read and mentions the University’s </span><a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/"><span data-contrast="none">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> – I highly recommend putting it at the top of your reading list). In our consultations with various organisations, the issue of appropriately memorialising the accused was one which was met with much interest and enthusiasm, and it seems that a place to go and pay our solemn respects to those whose lives were unjustly taken is something that would largely be supported and welcomed in Edinburgh.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><b><span data-contrast="auto">Final Thoughts</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Although there is much more work to be done in ensuring that the stories of the individuals who were accused of witchcraft are understood and remembered with accuracy and empathy, an appetite undoubtably exists for promoting these stories and memorialising these individuals in an appropriate and meaningful way. It is within this context that we will be submitting our bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund with the aim of establishing an open license, publicly accessible resource containing all known information on Scotland’s accused witches that can be used by researchers, historians, authors, artists, teachers, students and so many other groups to support work in and beyond the education and heritage sectors. Alongside this, we plan to run a programme of public engagement events to facilitate the public’s active participation with the data and stories of the accused. Further than simply historical education, we will encourage cultural reflection on themes such as women’s rights and the scapegoating of marginalised groups that permeate not just our past, but also our present. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":279}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">There is much we as a society can learn from this dark period of Scottish history, and I am hopeful that our bid, if successful, will support future research and work on the Scottish witch trials and bring awareness to the real stories behind the 3837 Scottish people, mostly women, who were accused of and in many cases executed for crimes they simply did not commit. I have been greatly moved by not just the deaths, but the lives of these individuals and am so grateful to have played a role this summer in preserving their memory for generations to come. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_1636" style="width: 639px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Woodcut.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1636" class="size-large wp-image-1636" src="http://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/wir/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/10/Woodcut-1024x747.jpg" alt="Woodcut from the Newes of Scotland pamphlet depicting suspected witches from North Berwick as they are threatened with a beating as they appear before two Scottish magistrates." width="629" height="459" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-1636" class="wp-caption-text">Woodcut on display at the National Museum of Scotland from the Newes of Scotland pamphlet depicting suspected witches from North Berwick as they are threatened with a beating as they appear before two Scottish magistrates. Pic by Ewan McAndrew, CC-BY-SA</p></div>
<p><strong>NB: Dervla has done so well over the last twelve weeks that she is continuing in post (part-time) during her studies this year.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ps. You can catch the Edinburgh Book festival talk, <a href="https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/claire-mitchell-and-zoe-venditozzi-women-not-witches"><em>Women not Witches</em>,</a> by Claire and Zoe of the Witches of Scotland at the Book Festival website.</strong></p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2025-10-07" itemprop="dateModified">Oct 7, 2025</time>
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<title>Preserving Scottish Heritage: The Accused Witches of Scotland</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/preserving-scottish-heritage-the-accused-witches-of-scotland/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/preserving-scottish-heritage-the-accused-witches-of-scotland/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ewan McAndrew]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 18:23:19 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Internship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[access]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[accessibility]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[data science]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[data skills]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dervla craig]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[digital]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dsdt-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dsdtfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[emma carroll]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[heritage]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[history]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[inclusion]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[julian goodare]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[national lottery]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[open access]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[participation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[schools]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[wikipedia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[witch trials]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witchcraft]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=471</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This post was written by LLB student Dervla Craig on her first month as Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer. My name is Dervla and I am going into my second year of the Graduate LLB at the University of Edinburgh. This summer I am doing a 12-week internship with the University’s Information Services […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>This post was written by LLB student Dervla Craig on her first month as Information and Data Literacy intern this Summer.</strong></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My name is Dervla and I am going into my second year of the Graduate LLB at the University of Edinburgh. This summer I am doing a 12-week internship with the University’s <a href="https://information-services.ed.ac.uk/">Information Services Group (ISG)</a> on one of the most fascinating projects I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of: <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">the Accused Witches of Scotland project</a>.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">I am one of a long line of interns who has been involved in this project each year since 2019, which aims to commemorate and spread awareness about those who were persecuted as witches in Scotland during the 16th to 18th centuries. While previous interns have primarily been focused on processing and importing data from the University’s landmark </span><a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/faq/"><span data-contrast="none">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> database (2003) into <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Scotland%27s_Accused_Witches">Wikidata</a> and created our </span><a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/"><span data-contrast="none">witches</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> website with new map and timeline visualisations, this year my role looks a bit different.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My remit for the 12 weeks is to prepare a bid to the <a href="https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/">National Lottery Heritage Fund</a> to secure funding for what we hope can be the next phase of the project. Our goal is to preserve the accused witches’ data in the long-term and ensure that people can connect with and participate in this heritage now and in the future. As it has come to the end of my first month, I wanted to join the tradition of blogging about my internship experience so far.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h3><span data-contrast="none">Getting to know the individual stories of the accused</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">My first week was spent diving down the rabbit hole to explore all there is to learn about the Scottish witch trials. If you had asked me to describe an accused witch before this week, I would’ve told you they wore a pointy hat and flew around on a broomstick. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Now when I picture these women, they look like my mother, or my grandmother, or me. They were ordinary people who suffered an egregious injustice, and I was extremely moved when learning about their stories.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Some of the most valuable tools for my research included </span><a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/faq/"><span data-contrast="none">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, created by Julian Goodare, a history professor at the University of Edinburgh, and his team in the late 90’s, and the <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">interactive </a></span><span data-contrast="none">witches</span><span data-contrast="auto"> map resource created by Emma Carroll, a geography student and our former Data Visualisation intern, and our late developer colleague Richard Lawson in September 2019. The Survey made use of the historic records of all the accused witches in Scotland between 1563 – 1736 and organised the details into a MS Access 1997 database, and our new 2019 map brings this data to life in a new and engaging way through importing the data into Wikipedia’s sister project, Wikidata, as linked open machine-readable data.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Learning about the great work that has been done previously definitely made me realise I have a lot to live up to but also motivated me to give it my all in the next twelve weeks and hopefully produce an end result that meets the standards of my predecessors.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h3><span data-contrast="none">Writing a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The next thing to familiarise myself with before I could dive into my writing was the bid itself. I spent a few days combing through the NLHF website to understand what it is they are looking for and how our project fits those needs. By getting to know my audience, I could ensure that my writing was intriguing, evidence-based and persuasive. I quickly found out that before submitting the 10,000-word application, I must submit a 1000-word ‘Expression of Interest’. This EoI asks questions about the heritage of the project, what our project aims to achieve, and why it is needed now. At this point, I felt I could write a dissertation for each of these questions, so the tight word count was my biggest enemy. I had lots of help from some lovely colleagues who offered their feedback and advice, including the Project Director of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, Professor Julian Goodare. After many tweaks and a few redrafts, I am happy to say at the end of week four that the EoI is pretty much ready to go.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h3><span data-contrast="none">Exploring avenues for community engagement</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Alongside writing, writing and more writing, I have also been brainstorming ideas for the community engagement side of our project. There have been so many great ideas by the team which have led to interesting and helpful discussions with different people and organisations, including the National Museum of Scotland, Reforesting Scotland, and some really talented artists. Excitingly, most of the responses we have received have been positive and enthusiastic. In the upcoming weeks, I hope to visit some of these places and see firsthand the primary sources from the witch trials.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h4><span data-contrast="none">Workshops and all-staff events</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":160,"335559739":80}"> </span></h4>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Another educational and fun aspect of my experience so far, outside of my bid writing role, has been the plethora of events hosted by ISG. In the past month I have taken part in ‘intern welcome’ socials, Wikipedia writing workshops and even a workshop on an introduction to blogging! Alongside these, I have also attended two all-staff events, one for all Information Services Group (ISG) staff and one for the Learning, Teaching and Web (LTW) division. Not only have I learned so much about the behind-the-scenes and the people who have made my studies possible for the past five years, but these events have also been an opportunity to get to know more of my colleagues and socialise with other interns. At ISG there is a strong emphasis on having a healthy work-life balance and making sure that you and those around you have what you need to produce your best work.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<div id="attachment_473" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-473" class="size-medium wp-image-473" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2025/07/Window-300x234.png" alt="View of Edinburgh Castle from Floor K, Argyle House." width="300" height="234" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2025/07/Window-300x234.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2025/07/Window.png 363w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-473" class="wp-caption-text">View of Edinburgh Castle from Floor K, Argyle House. CC-BY-SA by Dervla Craig.</p></div>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">In conclusion, I have had an amazing first month as an intern with the University of Edinburgh. I have learned a lot, met new people, and pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. Plus the amazing view of Edinburgh Castle from Floor K has been a real motivator to work from the office and not from home! I am nothing but hopeful that the next eight weeks will be even more exciting and productive, and that I can blog again soon with positive updates!</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">P.S. If you haven’t already, definitely visit <a href="https://witches.hca.ed.ac.uk/">The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft</a> and the <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">Map of Accused Witches in Scotland</a> websites! They are both amazing (and important) educational resources that I could browse for hours (and have).</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
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<time datetime="2025-07-11" itemprop="dateModified">Jul 11, 2025</time>
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<title>The Final Countdown: New Features and Nuxt 3 Upgrade</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/the-final-countdown/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/the-final-countdown/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:03:55 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikimania]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=455</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Since I last wrote after I returned from Wikimania, I have been working on getting version 2.0 of the website up to scratch! The new version of the website is set to launch this October, which meant there was a lot to get done before then.Firstly, the website framework was due for an upgrade from […]]]></description>
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<p>Since I last wrote after I returned from Wikimania, I have been working on getting version 2.0 of the website up to scratch! The new version of the website is set to launch this October, which meant there was a lot to get done before then.<br />Firstly, the website framework was due for an upgrade from Nuxt 2 to Nuxt 3. Nuxt is a javascript web development framework based on Vue.js, designed to make it easier to build fast and dynamic websites by handling much of the configuration and setup for developers. This upgrade was crucial for the website’s longevity and security, making it a top priority. This was something I had never done before, so I was a bit apprehensive. This did end up being quite a long challenging task as lots of the packages used in the website were not compatible with Nuxt 3 meaning I had to do quite a lot of problem solving and research to find new packages which could provide the same functionality and have a similar user interface. I learnt a lot from this process and had to be quite patient because at times I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get everything working, – for example the clustering of markers on the map – but after lots of trial and error and research I found a solution and felt proud of myself.</p>
<p><br />We also worked on some exciting new pages:</p>
<p><br /><strong>Map of Memorials & Sites of Interest:</strong> This is an interactive map showcasing memorials across Scotland dedicated to those who suffered during the witch trials, along with other sites of interest such as execution sites, prisons, meeting places, and museums with witchcraft displays. The purpose of this map is to document how the witch trials have been memorialised over time, and increasingly in recent years, and to provide people interested in the Scottish witch trials with locations they can visit.</p>
<p><br />This project involved an initial research period carried out by Ewan McAndrew, Ellie Whitehead and myself. We sought to identify memorial locations to include by reading books, searching the internet, and having discussions with Professor Julian Goodare. During these discussions, it became clear that several monuments are not based on actual historical events. For example, the Maggie Wall monument in Dunning—there is no evidence that Maggie Wall existed or was executed as a witch. However, we still found locations like this of interest in understanding how stories of witchcraft have been passed down through generations.</p>
<p><br />To differentiate between various types of sites, we created three categories: memorials, sites of interest, and tourist attractions. This allowed us to classify each location appropriately. After the research stage, we created Wikidata items for each location, adding any available images from Wikimedia Commons, coordinate locations, links to external websites, and street addresses. This data was then used to query and display these locations on a new webpage, where they are plotted on a map. <br />To provide further information to users, Ellie Whitehead wrote descriptions for each location in the database, explaining how the site is connected to the Scottish Witch Trials and addressing any misconceptions about historic fact vs folklore.<br /><br />Once we had collated all the information needed and created all Wikidata items I developed the website page and Stewart Cromar created new icons from the same woodcut of the North Berwick witches that the original icons are from.<br /><br /></p>
<div id="attachment_458" style="width: 321px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-458" class=" wp-image-458" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/intro-300x241.jpg" alt="North Berwick Witches Woodcut- Newes from Scotland" width="311" height="250" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/intro-300x241.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/intro.jpg 747w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 311px) 100vw, 311px" /><p id="caption-attachment-458" class="wp-caption-text">North Berwick Witches Woodcut – Newes from Scotland</p></div>
<p><br />This was a particularly rewarding page to create, as it involved multiple stages, including research, brainstorming ideas, designing the interface, and development. The result is a page I believe users will love, and that I feel proud of, as I believe it helps represents how the injustice of the Scottish Witch Trials has been commemorated across Scotland.</p>
<div id="attachment_459" style="width: 484px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-459" class=" wp-image-459" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-300x136.png" alt="Current Design of Memorials Page" width="474" height="215" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-300x136.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-1024x463.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-768x347.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-1536x694.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page-1440x651.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/memorials-page.png 1917w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" /><p id="caption-attachment-459" class="wp-caption-text">Memorials Page</p></div>
<p><br /><strong>Further Reading:</strong> A list of books, journals, and articles recommended by Professor Julian Goodare (director of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft) and Ellie Whitehead for those who wanted to learn more about the Scottish witch trials. Links are provided on where they can be accessed.</p>
<p><br /><strong>Glossary:</strong> A glossary containing terms used across the website, along with their meanings, was created to help users understand specialized vocabulary, as the filter lists may include terms that are not commonly known. We wanted users to have an easy way to discover the contextual meanings to get the most out of the website. Ellie Whitehead used the glossary from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft as a base, then added any additional terms from the filters that might not have an obvious meaning. After she compiled the list of terms and definitions, I created the web page. We decided it would be helpful if the list could be sorted either alphabetically or by category, making it easier for users to find terms.</p>
<div id="attachment_460" style="width: 445px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460" class=" wp-image-460" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-300x133.png" alt="Glossary Page" width="435" height="193" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-300x133.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-1024x455.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-768x341.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-1536x682.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary-1440x640.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/glossary.png 1916w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 435px) 100vw, 435px" /><p id="caption-attachment-460" class="wp-caption-text">Glossary Page</p></div>
<p><br /><strong>Introduction to Scottish Witchcraft:</strong> A page offering contextual information on the Scottish witchcraft trials to help users understand the historical background and significance of these events. We decided to include a video of Professor Julian Goodare for users who find it easier to learn from video content or those looking for more information, and who better to learn from than the creator of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft himself!<br />Initially, we planned to create a short, 5-minute general introduction to Scottish witchcraft. However, but given Julian’s incredible wealth of knowledge, we asked him additional questions we thought people would be most interested in, resulting in more videos about the Scottish Witch Trials and the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft to add to the website.<br />We recorded these videos in the University of Edinburgh’s Media Studio at Argyle House. I thoroughly enjoyed using this space, as it allowed us to create professional-quality videos. The studio is fully equipped with tools like a teleprompter, TV backdrop, light boxes, a microphone, and, of course, a camera.</p>
<div id="attachment_461" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-461" class=" wp-image-461" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-300x135.jpeg" alt="Media Studio" width="400" height="180" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-300x135.jpeg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-1024x461.jpeg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-768x346.jpeg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-1536x692.jpeg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media-1440x649.jpeg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/10/Media.jpeg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /><p id="caption-attachment-461" class="wp-caption-text">Media Studio</p></div>
<p><br />Currently these new pages and upgrade are getting reviewed by web developer Andrew Millington before getting deployed to the site in order to make sure that the code is maintainable, working as intended, and a user friendly interface. Once these have been reviewed and all issues that come up resolved then the website will be ready for it’s version 2 launch!! <span data-teams="true"><span class="ui-provider a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">I’m really excited for this to go live so everyone can see all the work mentioned (above) that I’ve been working on for the last year and all the previous interns’ work too!</span></span></p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2024-10-03" itemprop="dateModified">Oct 3, 2024</time>
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<title>Wikimania 2024: A Conference of Collaboration, Learning and Culture</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 Aug 2024 09:34:24 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Conference]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikimania]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=424</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ On July 15th I returned as ‘Witchfinder General’ – Data Visualisation Intern for another 3 months of working on the Map of Scottish Accused Witches of Project. We are now 4 weeks in and I have lots to share.I went to my first ever conference – Wikimania! Wikimania is an annual conference hosted by […]]]></description>
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<p>On July 15th I returned as ‘Witchfinder General’ – Data Visualisation Intern for another 3 months of working on the Map of Scottish Accused Witches of Project. We are now 4 weeks in and I have lots to share.<br /><br />I went to my first ever conference – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikimania">Wikimania</a>! Wikimania is an annual conference hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, including presentations and discussions on Wikimedia projects such as Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons. This year it was held in Katowice, Poland. I went with my manager Ewan McAndrew to give a presentation on Student engagement with openness. Ewan spoke about examples of all the Wikimedia related student projects he has run at the University of Edinburgh and then I spoke about the work we have done on this project.<br /><br /><a href="https://wikimania.eventyay.com/2024/talk/FALUVE/">Find out more about our presentation here!</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/wLgxZTcjhjY?si=POQvnW26tqevogTD&t=7920">Watch the presentation here.</a> <br /><br />Before going, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the conference. In my mind, a conference seemed like a very formal event, which I thought might make me feel a bit out of place. However, as soon as I arrived, I found a relaxed and open atmosphere with a diverse group of people. From volunteers to software developers, people who work for the Wikimedia Foundation to those who edit Wikipedia in their free time, there was a wide range of interests, passions, careers, ages, and nationalities present. This diversity created a warm and accepting environment that made open discussion comfortable. I was initially apprehensive about my presentation, as public speaking is something that scares me a little, but that made the achievement feel even greater.<br /><br />Along with giving the presentation I also got to attend lots of interesting talks and panel discussions. These covered lots of topics including the future of AI within the Wikipedia movement, facing the gender imbalance on Wikipedia, open data and the climate crisis, Wikipedia in education and even more. I think the standout for me was some of the AI discussions, thinking about how the Wikimedia movement could use AI but also the risks that would come along with them. Each session was really interesting and eye opening and great to hear views from people from all over the world. Throughout the conference I got to hear about all the different work that goes on in the Wikimedia movement.</p>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/wikimania_katowice_2024_-_opening_ceremony_wikimedian_of_the_year_awards_32/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="200" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Marching Band at Wikimania Opening Ceremony" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Wikimania_Katowice_2024_-_Opening_Ceremony_Wikimedian_of_the_Year_Awards_32.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/1024px-wikimania_katowice_2024_ksp_005/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="200" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Wikimania Entrance" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/1024px-Wikimania_Katowice_2024_KsP_005.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="201" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-300x201.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Wikimania Opening Ceremony" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-300x201.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544-768x513.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/c907a818-a6ad-4279-82f7-414c4f367a0c-e1724058923544.jpg 1306w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6316/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Pottery Painting at Wikimania" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6316-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6326/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Traditional Polish Choir" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6326-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6565/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Lighting Talk at Wikimania" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6565-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<p><br /><br />Not only were there many interesting sessions, the conference also included lots of entertainment – an opening ceremony with a Polish marching band and awards for the standout Wikimedians presented by Jimmy Wales (the founder of Wikipedia), a pottery painting class where we got to paint our own mug. I really enjoyed this activity. It was a lovely calming moment in a busy conference. There was also a performance from a traditional Polish choir, and a closing ceremony with a performance from the Wiki Orchestra , a group of talented musicians from the Wikimedia community playing a beautiful piece by Chopin. Then to finish a closing party in the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra with Wikimedians mingling and dancing to celebrate the end of a successful 4 day conference full of collaboration, learning, and cultural exchange.</p>
<p><br />During my free time, I also explored Katowice. I visited the Silesian Museum (An old mine that had since been repurposed), walked around appreciating the city’s architecture, and tried local cuisine such as Polish dumplings (called pierogies). They were delicious! On my way back, I flew out of Krakow, so I got to see some of that city as well, taking a walk around the old town, visiting the castle, strolling along the river, and exploring the Jewish quarter. It was exciting being able to explore and learn about both these cities that I hadn’t visited before.</p>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6400/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Silesian Museum" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6400-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6518/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Panteon Górnośląski w Katowicach" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6518-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6544/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Garrison Church" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6544-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6552/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Buildings in Katowice on Juliusxa Slowackiego" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6552-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6609/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="Horse and Carriage in Krakow" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6609-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<a href='https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wikimania-2024-a-conference-of-collaboration-learning-and-culture/img_6621/'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-225x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium" alt="St Mary's Basilica, Krakow" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/IMG_6621-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a>
<p><br /><br />Now back in Edinburgh with lots of work to continue, I’m reflecting on what was an enriching experience for which I am very grateful. I’m proud to have presented at an international conference, which will definitely boost my confidence. It was inspiring to see the variety of work happening within the Wikimedia community, such as the resilience of the Ukrainian community during the ongoing war. The conference felt like a community that was excited to meet and learn from one another and I’m glad to have been part of it.<br /><br /></p>
<div id="attachment_450" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-450" class="wp-image-450 size-large" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-1024x1024.jpeg" alt="Wikimania 2024 Group Photo" width="740" height="740" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2024/08/Media.jpeg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><p id="caption-attachment-450" class="wp-caption-text">Wikimania 2024 Group Photo</p></div>
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<time datetime="2024-08-19" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 19, 2024</time>
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<title>Remembering Scotland’s Accused Witches: Books, Plays and Memorials</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/internship-wrap-up/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/internship-wrap-up/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Aug 2023 15:55:59 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=402</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I am writing this blog post on the final day of my internship. The 12 weeks have flown by! Over this period, a lot of progress has been made to the new version of the site. This has consisted of:• Quality checking the data by comparing the data from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft to […]]]></description>
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<p style="text-align: left">I am writing this blog post on the final day of my internship. The 12 weeks have flown by! Over this period, a lot of progress has been made to the new version of the site.</p>
<p style="text-align: left"><br />This has consisted of:<br />• Quality checking the data by comparing the data from the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft to the data on Wikidata.<br />• Making improvements and getting rid of bugs on the website .<br />• User testing sessions.</p>
<p style="text-align: left"><br />You can read more about these in the previous blog posts. However, there is still progress to be made so I am going to continue to work on this project one day a week when I return to university in September! This will allow us to make sure we are fully confident with the data being used and the happy with the content of the website before releasing the new version of the website. The new version of the website includes lots of exciting new information and features such as accusations of shapeshifting and ritual objects plotted on a filterable map, custom timeline searches, a <a href="http://www.histropedia.com/">Histropedia</a> timeline where you can do name searches and filtering by age of accused and a new historic map layer using <a href="https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=10.6&lat=55.91496&lon=-3.36726&layers=125140579&b=1">the 1750 Dorret georeferenced map from National Library of Scotland</a>.</p>
<p>If you want to find out more about what I’ve been working on watch this video below:</p>
<iframe loading="lazy" src="about:blank" data-bs-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DKwfk7mgxk0?feature=oembed" width="660" height="544" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Over the past 2 weeks I’ve had the opportunity to attend interesting witch related events at the Edinburgh festivals. I went to a talk at Edinburgh International Book Festival with the authors Mairi Kidd (<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/we-are-all-witches/mairi-kidd/9781785304132">We Are All Witches</a> ) and Allyson Shaw (<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/ashes-and-stones/allyson-shaw/9781529395457">Ashes and Stone</a>) who have written books about the accused witches of Scotland which they discussed in this talk. “We Are All Witches” tells fictionalised accounts of 16 of the accused witches based on the information available and “Ashes and Stones” follows the authors journey visiting memorials of the accused witches around Scotland. This highlighted the importance and relevance of telling the individual stories and the memorialisation of those who suffered.</p>
<p>With my manager I also went to see a play at the fringe called <a href="https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/prick">Prick</a>, which told the stories of some of the executed women accused of witchcraft including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isobel_Gowdie">Issobell Gowdie</a>. These were both really inspiring, emotional and evocative events. I think after spending so long working with the data you begin to forget that these were real people and not just entries on a database, I was really reminded of how horrific, unjust and inhumane the trials and sufferings these women went through really were, which enforced in my mind the importance of sharing their stories. Also, both the authors at the book talk and the playwright of Prick used the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft as one of their primary resources when researching the Scottish witch trials which was a reminder of how valuable the data we are working with is.</p>
<div id="attachment_405" style="width: 349px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-405" class=" wp-image-405" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/booktalk-e1692977642502-225x300.jpg" alt="Mairi Kidd & Allyson Shaw: Who Are the Real Witches? - Book Festival Talk" width="339" height="452" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/booktalk-e1692977642502-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/booktalk-e1692977642502.jpg 480w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 339px) 100vw, 339px" /><p id="caption-attachment-405" class="wp-caption-text">Mairi Kidd & Allyson Shaw: Who Are the Real Witches? – Book Festival Talk</p></div>
<p>After going to both events it was really in our minds how important it is to remember and learn from these people’s stories and the there is a lot of interest in how they are memorialised. This has lead us to decide we will begin working on the idea we had to create a map of memorials for the accused witches. So people can see in one place the memorials that local areas have dedicated to the accused witches that were subject to the trials, torture and executions. We have started researching this by borrowing the book <a href="https://beul-aithris-publishing.onlineweb.shop/Witch_Memorials_of_Scotland/p6366266_20228504.aspx"><em>Witch Memorials of Scotland</em> by Gregor Stewart</a> from the University library. We also met with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Goodare">Professor Julian Goodare</a> to update him on the progress that has been made, ask him for advice, make use of his expertise and discuss our future ideas going forward such as the map of memorials.</p>
<div id="attachment_406" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-406" class="size-medium wp-image-406" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-300x157.jpg" alt="Ruby and Professor Julian Goodare" width="300" height="157" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-300x157.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-768x402.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image.jpg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-406" class="wp-caption-text">Ruby and Professor Julian Goodare</p></div>
<p><br />Overall, this internship has been a great experience because not only have I learnt lots of new technical skills (programming in R, Vue JavaScript framework, Wikidata, Sparql queries, user testing and user interface design) and professional skills (communication, teamwork and time management) I have also got to learn lots about this dark period of Scottish history through lots of different mediums. I’ve been inspired to learn more in my own time and have read <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/hex/jenni-fagan/9781846976223">Hex</a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenni_Fagan">Jenni Fagan</a> which tells an imagining of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geillis_Duncan">Geillis Duncan</a>‘s last night. This has made me passionate about working on this project as I’ve realised the real world value and impact of helping people to understand the stories and individuals behind this data. I’m looking forward to continuing this work and launching the new version of the site which hopefully further shares these individual stories as best we can.</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2023-08-25" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 25, 2023</time>
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<title>From Witches to Widgets: A Witchfinder Intern’s Update</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/from-witches-to-widgets-a-witchfinder-interns-update/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/from-witches-to-widgets-a-witchfinder-interns-update/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:14:50 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Internship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=383</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Hello, It’s been a while since my last blog post so it’s time for an update about my time as Witchfinder General Data Visualisation intern! Since my last post, I’ve been busy as ever, diving into the world of data quality assuring, tinkering with our website, and getting some insights from users and lots of […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Hello, It’s been a while since my last blog post so it’s time for an update about my time as Witchfinder General Data Visualisation intern! Since my last post, I’ve been busy as ever, diving into the world of data quality assuring, tinkering with our website, and getting some insights from users and lots of other fun and interesting experiences.</p>
<div id="attachment_389" style="width: 298px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-389" class=" wp-image-389" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-225x300.jpg" alt="Photo of Me Working on the Website" width="288" height="384" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/bereal.jpg 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px" /><p id="caption-attachment-389" class="wp-caption-text">Working on the Website in Argyle House</p></div>
<p><br />My role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of our data continues. With the aim of making sure our users get the most reliable insights and facts meanwhile respecting the original work of Survey of Scottish Witchcraft. I have now compared lots of fields including place of detention, primary & secondary case characteristics, cause of death, manner of death and lots more. From this I have been able to see that some information has been discovered since the Survey and added to Wikidata. I have made sure that all this information is referenced to trustworthy verifiable sources, ensuring that our website has the most accurate and up to date information possible. You can keep track of my progress <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Scotland%27s_Accused_Witches/To_do">on our Wikidata project page here</a>.</p>
<div id="attachment_386" style="width: 495px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-386" class=" wp-image-386" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-300x143.png" alt="New Feature on the Website which allows you to see historic version of Map" width="485" height="231" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-300x143.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-1024x489.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-768x367.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-1536x734.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919-1440x688.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-08-091919.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px" /><p id="caption-attachment-386" class="wp-caption-text">New Historic Map Fearure</p></div>
<p><br />I’ve added some cool features to our website! You can now travel back in time with our historical map layer. After discussing different map layers with <span class="ui-provider fz b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">Chris Fleet at National Library of Scotland we selected <a href="https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=12.2&lat=55.92314&lon=-3.22392&layers=125140579&b=1">the 1750 georeferenced James Dorret map</a>. </span>This lets you see how things looked closer to the time of the accused witches. Plus, we’ve made it easier for users to pick and choose what they want to see with the select and deselect buttons and changing the list of filters to alphabetical order. And I’ve been on a bug-hunting mission to get rid of them and make sure everything runs smoothly to make the website easier to navigate. We have had several other ideas of how we can make our website more engaging and informative, one of these ideas was to add some illustrations to the website to help users understand what information is being displayed to them. So I talked to one of the other interns Ally who is working on an interactive colouring in book. She came out with some initial ideas that could be used as icons for the accusations of Shapeshifting and the Ritual Objects supposed used and they turned out great! However, we have some concerns relating to including modern illustrations on our website. We are worried it could distract from the academic historical work or misrepresent some of these historical ideas (e.g. Shapeshifting) that we are referring to.</p>
<div id="attachment_398" style="width: 325px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-398" class=" wp-image-398" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-300x155.jpg" alt="Concept Illustrations for Website" width="315" height="163" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-300x155.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-1024x527.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-768x396.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-1536x791.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1-1440x742.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/blog3heading1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px" /><p id="caption-attachment-398" class="wp-caption-text">Concept Illustrations for Website</p></div>
<p>I also ran 7 user testing sessions with support from the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/user-experience">User Experience team</a> who’s aim is to deliver user-centred products. I initially met with members of the team and they informed me that the best way to improve the user experience of the website would be to find out what needs improving by conducting user testing. They gave me lots of advice on how to go about these sessions and for one of my first sessions helped me take notes. We decided to test on users who were experts on history and some people with very little previous knowledge on witches! So I reached out to <span class="ui-provider fz b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">Assistant Professor Mikki Brock, Witches of Scotland podcasters, Dr. Chris Langley and other interns to see if they would be interested in participating, and they all were! </span>This range of knowledge was really useful to see how the different types of users interacted with the website, this is important as these are both user groups that our website in intended for. I would give the users tasks to complete on the site and watch them complete them, taking notes and then ask them questions to hear their thoughts and advice. Their feedback will help guide us towards the best version of the website possible. I’ve shared their insights with the team, and together we’re deciding what we came take from it to make improvements to the site.</p>
<p><br />As part of my internship, I’ve also had some pretty cool experiences beyond the screen. A trip to <a href="https://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/whats-on/">St Celias Hall</a>, a musical instrument museum, was a really interesting experience that I learnt lots of new information from. I’ve also dabbled in Wikipedia writing after attending a Wikipedia training session, I researched and wrote a page about the accused witch <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issobell_Fergussone">Issobelle Fergesoune</a>. It’s great to be able to write about the accused witches individual stories as this humanizes them and helps people understand what they really went through. Also, I have attended several team meetings, where coffee and cake were involved!</p>
<div id="attachment_392" style="width: 297px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-392" class=" wp-image-392" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-225x300.jpg" alt="Musical Instruments in St Celia's Hall" width="287" height="383" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195-1440x1920.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/08/st-celias-hall-trip-scaled-e1691485923195.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 287px) 100vw, 287px" /><p id="caption-attachment-392" class="wp-caption-text">Musical Instruments in St Celia’s Hall</p></div>
<p>So, what’s next? I have two quite big challenges to focus on, one being making sure the website is mobile responsive and the other being trying to reduce the load time when opening the website. Currently, the website can takes some time to load because there is huge amounts of data being pulled. This will be quite technically difficult to solve. Our approach is going to be separating the queries pulling the data into smaller queries so less data is being pulled at once. The load time is very important to user experience and something that was mentioned several times in the user testing sessions. Hopefully after these improvements the new version of the website will be one step closer to being released!</p>
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area">
<time datetime="2023-08-08" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 8, 2023</time>
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<title>Weeks 2 and 3 – Unravelling Anomalies and Starting the Website Transformation</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-2-and-3-unravelling-anomalies-and-starting-the-website-transformation/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-2-and-3-unravelling-anomalies-and-starting-the-website-transformation/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 Jun 2023 06:31:51 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=377</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I am now coming the end of my third week as the Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation intern and time has flown by. Over the past 2 weeks I have begun on the journey of Quality Assuring the data and improving the website. This process began by dealing with the anomalies between the names and […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span data-contrast="auto">I am now coming the end of my third week as the Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation intern and time has flown by. Over the past 2 weeks I have begun on the journey of Quality Assuring the data and improving the website. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">This process began by dealing with the anomalies between the names and gender of accused witches that the previous intern, Claire had found and then after consulting with<a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/history-classics-archaeology/about-us/staff-profiles/profile_tab5_academic.php?uun=jgoodare&search=2¶ms="> Professor Julian Goodare</a> about these differences making the corresponding necessary changes in wikidata. Then I began with looking at different properties, starting with social class and occupation. From this I discovered there was some differences with the wording of some of the values used in the Survey and in Wikidata. This was because there are some very Survey-specific terms related to witch hunts in 16th century Scotland and a 21st century platform like Wikidata has items of data that are of more general use with often more modern definitions of terms as a community knowledgebase of open linked data. It is also because language changes over time and the definitions and use of terms and placenames has changed since the 16th century. Where possible it is better to use a common language of terms so that the data can be explored and parsed more easily. However, if there are stark differences then it is better to make sure that Wikidata has terms suitable for explaining the specific nature of terms of the information contained within the Survey so that there is no loss of meaning or misrepresentation creeping in. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_380" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-380" class="wp-image-380 size-medium" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/wordTable-300x224.png" alt="Anomalies in Value Labels between Wikidata and the Survey" width="300" height="224" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/wordTable-300x224.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/wordTable.png 463w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-380" class="wp-caption-text">Anomalies in Value Labels between Wikidata and the Survey</p></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">In most cases Professor Julian Goodare, lecturer in History and project Director of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft database (2003), approved of these cases but he suggested that </span><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q54128"><b><span data-contrast="auto">domestic worker</span></b></a><span data-contrast="auto"> did not give appropriate meaning and that adding a new value <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q119574553"><strong>servant</strong> </a>would represent the work they did more accurately so I changed every accused witch on Wikidata that was down a domestic worker to servant using <a href="https://quickstatements.toolforge.org/#/">Quickstatements</a>. Once we had confirmed that the rest of the terms being used in Wikidata were suitable, there was no anomalies left for social class but there was some for occupation. There were some witches in Wikidata where some additional occupations had been added that were not mentioned in the survey. We sent these to Prof. Julian Goodare and he looked through his resources and verified whether these occupations were accurate and provided us with a reference that could be added to Wikidata. This is part of the benefit of working with open linked data where multiple values can be added by a community of users if it aids and augments the data. It does need to be verifiable however so adding a reference to back up statements being added is key.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Looking at residence property was my next hurdle and it proved to be a more difficult and time consuming task than the previous properties. This was because in the Survey there were numerous columns of locations for each accused witch – settlement, parish, presbytery, county and burgh – and on Wikidata different locations have been chosen depending on which residence Emma.. ( the first student intern to work on this project) was able to find. Emma worked with georeferenced historic maps from the National Library of Scotland and placename books to try and identify which placename listed in the five columns of data in the Survey could be geolocated on a map to be the most specific place of residence for each accused witch we could approximate a co-ordinate location for. This means there is a lot of differences between the survey data and Wikidata to look through, so this is something I am still working on , as there are 820 locations to look at.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">I have also began working on the website improvements. This began by creating a list of all the things we would like to change/add and categorising them into bugs, new features, and navigation improvements. And we also had a meeting with Prof. Julian Goodare to discuss potential additions with him. Lots of great ideas came out of this meeting such as filming an explainer video for the ‘About’ webpage that would give an introduction this project, the background of the survey of Scottish witchcraft and a guide to the website. Once we had completed a categorised list, I had a meeting with the web development team, Andrew and Richard, and we played ‘scrum poker’, a method for each of us guesstimating how long each development task might take. The next stage was to start working through these tasks and prioritising any bugs.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The navigation and user interface of the test site of the website is something that needs improved before making this version available to the public. We reached out to the ISG’s User Experience (UX) Service to see if they could provide us with any support on this side of things. We had a meeting with them to give them an introduction the project and website, give our ideas, answer their questions and gauge the kind of support they could give us. I think the main goal of the site is to make a good resource for people interested in witches but also those with no prior knowledge. Since the website was first released loads of visualisations were added to the test site of version 2 by Maggie and Josep, our student interns in Summer 2022. These have provided great new insights but have caused for the navigational layout of the site to become slightly unorganised. It is often hard to find what you are looking for or understand what you are looking at. Ahead of the meeting with the UX team, I created some mock ups showing how we could change the navigation so that all the maps of accused witches are in the same place (discoverable in the left hand menu pictured below) and you can explore the map with different filters and read contextual text explaining each visualisation. This way people are more likely to view and understand more of the information. We are soon to have a follow up meeting with them to discuss things further.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_378" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-378" class="wp-image-378 size-medium" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web1-300x131.png" alt="Mock-up of Web Improvements" width="300" height="131" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web1-300x131.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web1.png 683w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-378" class="wp-caption-text">Mock-up of Web Improvements</p></div></p>
<p><div id="attachment_379" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-379" class="wp-image-379 size-medium" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web2-300x136.png" alt="Mock-up of Web Improvements" width="300" height="136" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web2-300x136.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/web2.png 681w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-379" class="wp-caption-text">Mock-up of Web Improvements</p></div></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Overall, I have really enjoyed my first few weeks. I have been able to work on a variation of tasks including web development, data assurance and Wikidata. This has kept things interesting and exciting and I have learnt so much already from new technical skills to greater historical knowledge of what happened to these accused witches. have had meetings with lots of interesting people all providing valuable ideas to the project. I have also met lots of other interns and staff at various events such as the welcome lunch, home baking morning and the all staff BBQ. I am excited to continue the work I have done so far.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2023-06-28" itemprop="dateModified">Jun 28, 2023</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>A Witchfinder’s Quest : Ensuring Data Accuracy & Enhancing the Website</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/witchfinders-data-accuracy-website/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/witchfinders-data-accuracy-website/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[rimrie2]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 Jun 2023 09:05:50 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Internship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[map of accused witches]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[ruby imrie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=366</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Hi! I’m Ruby and I’m a 3rd year undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh studying Computer Science. And I am the new Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation Intern and I am going to be continuing with the great work of the previous interns that have worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. So far, […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi! I’m Ruby and I’m a 3<sup>rd</sup> year undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh studying Computer Science. And I am the new Witchfinder General – Data Visualisation Intern and I am going to be continuing with the great work of the previous interns that have worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. So far, many amazing visualisations have been created and added to the website that make it a great educational resource that everyone can access.</p>
<p>These visualisations have been based on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Database created by academics in the early 2000’s. Key information from this database has been uploaded to <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Main_Page">Wikidata</a>, allowing for this data to be more accessible to a large community, and has allowed editing and augmentation by members of the Wikidata community. Most visualisations on the website are creating using the data from Wikidata. Wikidata is part of the Wikimedia family, and is a free and open knowledge base composed of structured data that is used in Wikipedia and projects such as this one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><div id="attachment_367" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-367" class="size-medium wp-image-367" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-300x225.jpg" alt="Familiarizing myself with the datasets and the current website" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/06/blog1.jpg 2016w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-367" class="wp-caption-text">Familiarizing myself with the datasets and the current website</p></div></p>
<p><strong>My Goals for Working on this Project</strong></p>
<p>Since the data has been uploaded to Wikidata, it means there may be differences between the Wikidata and the orginal survey data due to the possibility of import errors and other users editing the data. It is important that we check that the data is all this accurate in order to prevent the spread of misinformation and to respect the original historical record, the historical events, what happened to these women, and the work of the researchers on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft. The intern previous to me, Claire Panella, developed a method using R Studio to find the entries that don’t match between Wikidata and the original Survey of Scottish Witches databases. She first completed checking the gender and then the names of the accused witches matched the Survey, from this it was discovered there was several anomalies. One of my roles while pursuing this internship is to continue this work of quality assuring the linked open data used in our website. This will be approached by using Claire’s methodology to check all the different variables displayed in the visualisations, then verifying what changes need made by consulting with academic expert colleagues before making any of the changes. This way we will know the information we are displaying is the most accurate version possible. Although, because this is historical data there are omissions and inexactitudes that by opening up the data to a public audience we hope to be able to further scrutinise and improve on what we know about this dark period of Scottish history.</p>
<p>Along with quality assuring the data I will be working on improving the <a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/">website</a> in order, with the aim of users being able to gain as much from the website as possible. This will in involve making some changes to the user interface in order to make it more accessible and usable by making it more user friendly and easier to navigate. Furthermore, adding any visualisations that we believe will provide insightful information to users of the website. For example, I had the idea of creating a heatmap to show the distribution of the accused witches across Scotland. Whilst working on the website, we will gather ideas and opinions from experts in all things Wiki and Witches!</p>
<p><strong>My First Week</strong></p>
<p>During my first week on this project, I dedicated my time to familiarizing myself with the datasets, which comprise a substantial database with over 3,000 entries. This extensive collection contains a wealth of information about each accused witch, their respective witch trials, and the overarching investigations into witchcraft. Consequently, there were many aspects to consider, and this gave me a lot to think about.</p>
<p>In order for me to effectively use <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Main_Page">Wikidata</a>, a platform I had limited knowledge about before starting this project, I engaged with various members of the Wikidata community. These individuals offered valuable advice and guidance as I begin navigate this project. In order to make the most of Wikidata’s capabilities, I devoted time to learning how to effectively utilize Sparql (a query language for databases) and Openrefine (an open-source tool specifically designed for working with untidy datasets).</p>
<p>Furthermore, this project has required the development of new skills to effectively manipulate the databases and improve the website. In this pursuit, I acquainted myself with R Studio, a programming language I had not previously worked with. I discovered that R Studio offers a user-friendly interface along with robust statistical and data analysis functionalities, making it a suitable choice of software for the project’s requirements. Additionally, I followed tutorials on Vue.js, the JavaScript framework employed for constructing the website.</p>
<p>Over the past year, interns previous to me have worked on a version 2 of the website with some changes made and extra visualisations added to the website. This version currently has not been made public. Over the course of my internship we hope to get this version to a completed stage and make this version public. To kickstart the process, I engaged in brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for the website. Subsequently, I organized and prioritized these ideas, ensuring a clear direction for the project.</p>
<p>I’m really excited to work on this project. As a Computer Science student, I have some experience with working with large datasets and creating data visualizations and working on web applications, and I am excited to be able to develop these skills. Meanwhile, getting to learn to learn a lot about this historic event and work on a great resource that can educate people on one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in Scottish History.<br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2023-06-12" itemprop="dateModified">Jun 12, 2023</time><br />
</span></p>
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<item>
<title>Finding Impossible Witches: Part One The Search Begins</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/finding-impossible-witches-part-one/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/finding-impossible-witches-part-one/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[cpanella]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2023 15:38:47 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[claire panella]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlam-feed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dlamfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[internfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[open data]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Openedfeed]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[survey of scottish witchcraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Wikidata]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Witches]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=351</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Inheriting the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Project Hi! I’m Claire, a 4th year undergraduate studying International Relations with Quantitative Methods at the University of Edinburgh, and the latest in a long line of interns and others who’ve worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. The data involved in this project was originally compiled in […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b><span data-contrast="none">Inheriting the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Project</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">Hi! I’m Claire, a 4</span><span data-contrast="none">th</span><span data-contrast="none"> year undergraduate studying International Relations with Quantitative Methods at the University of Edinburgh, and the latest in a long line of interns and others who’ve worked on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft project. The data involved in this project was originally compiled in a Microsoft Access Database by academics in the early 2000’s. Since then, key information from the database has been added to Wikidata, allowing for greater accessibility as well as editing and augmentation by members of the Wikidata community. People have done lots of great things with this data, including </span><a href="https://witches.is.ed.ac.uk/"><span data-contrast="none">all the visualisations</span></a><span data-contrast="none"> put together by the previous data visualisation interns, but now that the data is stored across several different platforms, it’s important to make sure that these versions are reconciled. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">My role is to find the ‘Impossible Witches’; those entries which don’t m</span><span data-contrast="none">atch between Wikidata and the original Access database.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_353" style="width: 566px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-353" class="wp-image-353" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-300x219.jpg" alt="" width="556" height="406" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-300x219.jpg 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-1024x747.jpg 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408-768x560.jpg 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/VideoCapture_20230405-124408.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 556px) 100vw, 556px" /><p id="caption-attachment-353" class="wp-caption-text">Working away making my first comparisons in R. By Claire Panella, Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0</p></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none"> </span><b><span data-contrast="none">Checking against the database item by item</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">My initial approach to this was to use R to compare between csv files exported from the Access database, and csv files accessed by querying Wikidata. This required downloading both files, checking to make sure variable labels matched, combining the datasets, and isolating the cases where the information didn’t match iso I could look through and see where the issues were.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">For some features, like gender, a lot of information h</span><span data-contrast="none">as been added to Wikidata that isn’t present in the survey, but there are very few cases where </span><span data-contrast="none">Wikidata and the survey have conflicting information.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><div id="attachment_354" style="width: 554px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-354" class="wp-image-354" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/gender-anomalies-300x169.png" alt="" width="544" height="306" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/gender-anomalies-300x169.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/gender-anomalies.png 602w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px" /><p id="caption-attachment-354" class="wp-caption-text">Anomalies in Gender between Wikidata and the Survey</p></div></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">In others, like Name, the situation is a bit more complicated. Sometimes the spellings vary between Wikidata and the Survey – this could be for a few reasons, and to add to the complications, both data sources have multiple name categories – the survey includes both modern and historical first and last names, while Wikidata includes both an Item Identifier and aliases. I’ve also looked for exact matches between the text from each source, so some inconsistencies just have to do with capitalisation and spacing. Really, it’s impressive there are only 23 anomalies!</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><div id="attachment_352" style="width: 543px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-352" class="wp-image-352" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/name-anomalies-300x170.png" alt="" width="533" height="302" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/name-anomalies-300x170.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2023/04/name-anomalies.png 602w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px" /><p id="caption-attachment-352" class="wp-caption-text">Anomalies in Name between Wikidata and the Survey</p></div></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">My goal now is to come up with a solid procedure to check wikidata entri</span><span data-contrast="none">es against the survey so we can be sure we’re consistent and accurate in which data changes we keep. After that, I’ll work on a methodology to pass on to whomever the next ‘Witchfinder General’ is so that we can keep track of data changes as the project continues to grow and evolve. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">As I look for a method to continuously check for differences between the original survey data and the most up to date version of Wikidata, I’ve turned to the Wikidata community for help. Ewan reached out to his contacts, and I reached out via <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Project_chat">Project Chat</a> as well as a Slack channel for <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_LD4_Wikidata_Affinity_Group">libraries using Wikidata</a>. Different users have responded with various suggestions. One Wikidata user suggested a library I could use to efficiently link R with SPARQL queries, and some of Ewan’s contacts gave suggestions for the general workflow I could follow in creating a shareable methodology. One of the most helpful suggestions was that I use a tool called prompter, which would allow me to compare the results of a SPARQL query to a stable csv and store anomalies as a table on the Wikidata project page. While this looks like a great idea, it has led us to run into another of the common problems involved in working with Wikidata – not all of the tools are maintained. The </span><a href="https://prompter.toolforge.org/prompter"><span data-contrast="none">Prompter</span></a><span data-contrast="none"> tool was designed by the Every Politician Project, which was placed on indefinite pause in June 2019. This means that while the documentation for the tool still exists, it no longer works as a template in Wikidata. For me, this has been a valuable lesson on the pros and cons of working with a platform run and maintained by volunteers. Still, we are continuing to get great advice from Wikimedians around the world. A new goal of mine for the end of this project is to create a workable and well documented method that I can easily share, so I have something to give back to the community that has helped me so much throughout this project. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":1,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":270}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2023-04-05" itemprop="dateModified">Apr 5, 2023</time><br />
</span></p>
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<title>Weeks 9 and 10 – Sweeping the Cobwebs(ite)</title>
<link>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-9-and-10-cleaning-the-cobwebsite/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/weeks-9-and-10-cleaning-the-cobwebsite/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[jgarcia7]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:44:34 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorised]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=330</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Site re-development – Filtering Witchcraft Hi, this is Josep again! We are currently in Week 10 of our internship, and time is starting to become a limiting factor. Since my last blog post in Week 4 a lot of things have been going on, and in this post I am going to be explaining how […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Site re-development – Filtering Witchcraft</h2>
<p>Hi, this is Josep again! We are currently in Week 10 of our internship, and time is starting to become a limiting factor. Since my last blog post in Week 4 a lot of things have been going on, and in this post I am going to be explaining how the plans I had back then have turned out, what I have managed to accomplish, and the things I still have left to do in the two remaining weeks.</p>
<p>In week 5, I implemented the new filtering algorithm, and everything went rather smoothly – although I had to change the whole data structure. I think this was a significant improvement, as things ran a bit faster, we only had to keep one copy of the array we use to plot, and the code was neater.</p>
<p>However, after that I then spent quite a few days implementing a way to share filter status data across pages, so that when the user changed pages they would have the same filters on as they had in the previous page. Nevertheless, in order to do this without a backend I had to hardcode the filters array into something called Vue Store (so that its state could be accessed from all pages).</p>
<p>The nature of this array meant that it had to change if the data in the database changed, so I would also need a dynamic check, and I thought it was fine because the data is not likely to change, and I had a dynamic check implement just in case it did. But when I pushed the code over for review, the rest of the team felt it was not ideal to have something both static and dynamic at the same time, which in hindsight I agreed with.</p>
<p>Then I thought I could build the list dynamically and then enter it into the Vue Store, but once I had that implemented I realised that that didn’t work because of caching we were doing (which is quite important because of loading time issues). Therefore, in the end we decided we would just not have the filters share across pages until we had a backend. Back then it was a bit difficult as I felt I had wasted quite a lot of time, but at the same time it was a valuable learning experience!</p>
<p>With the new filtering functionality done, I then started changing the filtering user interface to move it to the left of the page, and with the help of the rest of the team I think we managed to get a pretty neat, professional looking design. This is what it is looking like now:</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-332 aligncenter" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-12-at-13.34.59-300x175.png" alt="" width="566" height="331" /></p>
<p>This was the last thing I did before leaving to Spain for holidays for a week.Right now, I have been back from holidays for a bit less than two weeks. In the time that I have been back, I have been working on developing a responsive timeline for the Leaflet Map pages and refactoring the code in order to be able to add more map pages with more filters very easy once Maggie has finished adding all the new data on to WikiData, which should be any time now.</p>
<p>Other than doing these two things, I was hoping to have time to add a backend in Python to process all the data after querying WikiData (as of now there is no backend and we do it in the front-end’s JavaScript) since we will have quite a lot of new data to process, and we are afraid the loading time will significantly increase. However, in the end it has been decided that I shouldn’t do the back end in Python since the team say that they can’t maintain a Python backend in the long term once I’m gone, as they work in PHP. I will try and have time to do the backend in PHP, but I would have to learn it from scratch and there are a lot more other bits and pieces that need doing!</p>
<h2>The Data Side of Things</h2>
<p>I was off for most of last week as I was in Turkey holidaying for a couple of days, but was back on Thursday for more data work! I finished processing the <strong>witches’ meeting places</strong> and <strong>what went down</strong> in these meetings, as well as the <strong>calendar customs </strong>that were mentioned in the witchcraft investigations. Looking at <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112321273">Agnes Sampson’s investigation</a> page, you can see all the juicy new details we’ve fitted into the Wikidata data model from the Survey and processed using OpenRefine.</p>
<p>Speaking of OpenRefine, I am currently planning and scripting a little tutorial for users of the software or even future interns as I have really enjoyed how intuitive and helpful it’s been for this project. This should be recorded in the next week so keep your eyes peeled…</p>
<p>This week, I started off with doing some data cleaning. Previously, before we created case items for each witchcraft investigation, the <strong>shapeshifting</strong> and <strong>ritual objects</strong> data was added to the accused witches’ items. Some helpful Wikidatans saw this duplication and started deleting statements, so we decided we needed to clean this up to not cause confusion.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-336 aligncenter" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-300x111.png" alt="" width="586" height="217" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-300x111.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-1024x379.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-768x284.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-1536x568.png 1536w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339-1440x533.png 1440w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-112-e1660311037339.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 586px) 100vw, 586px" /></p>
<p>Using the same Google sheet that was used to add the shapeshifting information, I used the handy “<em>Export to QuickStatements</em>” option to get all the edits into QuickStatements syntax. I did this as with QuickStatements, it’s easy to remove specific statements by <strong>prefixing</strong> a line with a <strong>minus sign. </strong></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-337 aligncenter" src="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-300x154.png" alt="" width="399" height="205" srcset="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-300x154.png 300w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-1024x526.png 1024w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357-768x394.png 768w, https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/wp-content/uploads/sites/524/2022/08/Screenshot-113-e1660312198357.png 1430w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px" /></p>
<p>After this, I started to think about extracting the data added to Wikidata using the Wikidata Query Service. We have been in contact with Navino Evans, one of the co-founders of <a href="http://www.histropedia.com/">Histropedia</a>, to help us with the complex SPARQL query. <a href="https://query.wikidata.org/#SELECT%20distinct%20%3Fitem%20%3FitemLabel%20%3FinvestigationDate%0A%3FresidenceLabel%20%3FresidenceCoords%20%3FsexLabel%20%3Flink%20%3FoccupationLabel%20%3FsocialClassificationLabel%0A%3FplaceOfDeathLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20%3FmannerOfDeathLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%0A%0A%23Newly%20added%0A%3Finvestigation%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3FinvestigationEnd%0A%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fqualities%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FchargeWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fcharges%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FritualObjectLabel%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FritualObjects%29%0A%0AWHERE%0A%7B%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Fwitch%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP551%20%3Fresidence%20.%0A%20%20%3Fresidence%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FresidenceCoords%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Flink%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP21%20%3Fsex%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP106%20%3Foccupation%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP3716%20%3FsocialClassification%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP1196%20%3FmannerOfDeath%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP2632%20%3FdetentionLocation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FdetentionLocation%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%23%20INVESTIGATION%0A%20%0A%20%20%23OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP793%20%3Finvestigation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP31%20wd%3AQ66458810%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%3B%20to%20repeat%20%3Finvestigation%20again%20without%20having%20to%20write%20it%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20wdt%3AP580%7Cwdt%3AP585%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%7C%20symbol%20to%20mean%20%22OR%22%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP582%20%3FinvestigationEnd%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Quality%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20WITH%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1552%20%3FhasQualityNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20ps%3AP1552%20%3FhasQuality%20.%20%23%20main%20value%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%20%23%20%22including%22%20qualifier%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20pq%3AP1012%20%3FqualityIncluding%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FqualityIncluding%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQuality%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FhasQualityLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FhasQualityLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20as%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Charge%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1595%20%3FchargeNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeNode%20ps%3AP1595%20%3Fcharge%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeNode%20pq%3AP4675%20%3Fform%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Fform%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FformLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FformLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Fcharge%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FchargeLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FchargeLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FformLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FchargeLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FformLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeLabel%29%20as%20%3FchargeWithQualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Ritual%20object%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20but%20WITHOUT%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP8706%20%3FritualObject%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FritualObject%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FritualObjectLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FritualObjectLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%23%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20SERVICE%20wikibase%3Alabel%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20bd%3AserviceParam%20wikibase%3Alanguage%20%22%5BAUTO_LANGUAGE%5D%2Cen%22.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%7D%0A%7D%0A%0AGROUP%20BY%20%3Fitem%20%3FitemLabel%20%3FinvestigationDate%20%3FresidenceLabel%20%3FresidenceCoords%20%3FsexLabel%20%3Flink%0A%3FoccupationLabel%20%3FsocialClassificationLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20%3FmannerOfDeathLabel%0A%3FdetentionLocationLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%20%3Finvestigation%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3FinvestigationEnd">This</a> was the working example he sent us, and I used this example to try my hand at adding <strong>calendar customs</strong> and <strong>witches’ meeting places </strong>to the query (the data I added recently), with this <a href="https://query.wikidata.org/#SELECT%20distinct%20%3Fitem%20%3FitemLabel%20%3FinvestigationDate%0A%3FresidenceLabel%20%3FresidenceCoords%20%3FsexLabel%20%3Flink%20%3FoccupationLabel%20%3FsocialClassificationLabel%0A%3FplaceOfDeathLabel%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20%3FmannerOfDeathLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationLabel%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%0A%0A%23Newly%20added%0A%3Finvestigation%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3FinvestigationEnd%0A%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fqualities%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FchargeWithQualifier%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3Fcharges%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FritualObjectLabel%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FritualObjects%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FcalendarCustomsLabel%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FcalendarCustoms%29%0A%28GROUP_CONCAT%28DISTINCT%20%3FqualityWithLocation%3B%20separator%3D%27%20%7C%20%27%29%20as%20%3FmeetingPlaces%29%20%0A%0AWHERE%0A%7B%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Fwitch%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP551%20%3Fresidence%20.%0A%20%20%3Fresidence%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FresidenceCoords%20.%0A%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP4478%20%3Flink%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP21%20%3Fsex%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP106%20%3Foccupation%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP3716%20%3FsocialClassification%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FplaceOfDeath%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FplaceOfDeathCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP1196%20%3FmannerOfDeath%20.%7D%0A%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP2632%20%3FdetentionLocation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3FdetentionLocation%20wdt%3AP625%20%3FdetentionLocationCoords%20.%0A%20%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%23%20INVESTIGATION%0A%20%0A%20%20%23OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP793%20%3Finvestigation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP31%20wd%3AQ66458810%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%3B%20to%20repeat%20%3Finvestigation%20again%20without%20having%20to%20write%20it%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20wdt%3AP580%7Cwdt%3AP585%20%3FinvestigationStart%20%3B%20%23%20Tip%3A%20Use%20%7C%20symbol%20to%20mean%20%22OR%22%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%3Finvestigation%20wdt%3AP582%20%3FinvestigationEnd%20%7D%0A%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Quality%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20WITH%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1552%20%3FhasQualityNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20ps%3AP1552%20%3FhasQuality%20.%20%23%20main%20value%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%20%20%23%20%22including%22%20qualifier%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20pq%3AP1012%20%3FqualityIncluding%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FqualityIncluding%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQuality%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FhasQualityLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FqualityIncludingLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FhasQualityLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FqualityIncludingLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20as%20%3FqualityWithQualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Location%20%28COPY%20THIS%20FOR%20MULTIPLE%20VALUE%2C%20WITH%20qualifier%29%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1552%20%3FhasQualityNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20ps%3AP1552%20%3FhasQuality%20.%20%23%20main%20value%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%7B%20%20%23%20%22location%22%20qualifier%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityNode%20pq%3AP276%20%3FqualityLocation%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FqualityLocation%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FqualityLocationLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FqualityLocationLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQuality%20rdfs%3Alabel%20%3FhasQualityLabel%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20FILTER%20%28lang%28%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20%3D%20%22en%22%29%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20BIND%28IF%28%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20BOUND%28%3FqualityLocationLabel%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CONCAT%28%3FhasQualityLabel%2C%22%20%28%22%2C%20%3FqualityLocationLabel%2C%20%22%29%22%29%2C%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FhasQualityLabel%29%20as%20%3FqualityWithLocation%29%0A%20%20%20%20%7D%20.%0A%20%20%20%0A%20%20%20%20%23%20Charge%0A%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Finvestigation%20p%3AP1595%20%3FchargeNode%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%3FchargeNode%20ps%3AP1595%20%3Fcharge%20.%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20OPTIONAL%20%7B%0A%2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<p> </p>
<p> <br />
<span class="uoe-published-time uoe-seo-hidden-area"><br />
<time datetime="2022-08-12" itemprop="dateModified">Aug 12, 2022</time><br />
</span></p>
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Diag| Considering item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=485] "Separating Legend from Legacy: Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland"
Diag========| SQL: SELECT wp_30_posts.ID, wp_30_posts.guid, wp_30_posts.post_modified_gmt, wp_30_posts.post_name
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Diag====| Item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=485] "Separating Legend from Legacy: Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland" is a duplicate of an existing post.
Diag| Considering item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=471] "Preserving Scottish Heritage: The Accused Witches of Scotland"
Diag========| SQL: SELECT wp_30_posts.ID, wp_30_posts.guid, wp_30_posts.post_modified_gmt, wp_30_posts.post_name
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Diag====| Item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=471] "Preserving Scottish Heritage: The Accused Witches of Scotland" is a duplicate of an existing post.
Diag| Considering item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=455] "The Final Countdown: New Features and Nuxt 3 Upgrade"
Diag========| SQL: SELECT wp_30_posts.ID, wp_30_posts.guid, wp_30_posts.post_modified_gmt, wp_30_posts.post_name
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ORDER BY wp_30_posts.post_date DESC
Diag====| Item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=455] "The Final Countdown: New Features and Nuxt 3 Upgrade" is a duplicate of an existing post.
Diag| Considering item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=424] "Wikimania 2024: A Conference of Collaboration, Learning and Culture"
Diag========| SQL: SELECT wp_30_posts.ID, wp_30_posts.guid, wp_30_posts.post_modified_gmt, wp_30_posts.post_name
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Diag====| Item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=424] "Wikimania 2024: A Conference of Collaboration, Learning and Culture" is a duplicate of an existing post.
Diag| Considering item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=402] "Remembering Scotland’s Accused Witches: Books, Plays and Memorials"
Diag========| SQL: SELECT wp_30_posts.ID, wp_30_posts.guid, wp_30_posts.post_modified_gmt, wp_30_posts.post_name
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ORDER BY wp_30_posts.post_date DESC
Diag====| Item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=402] "Remembering Scotland’s Accused Witches: Books, Plays and Memorials" is a duplicate of an existing post.
Diag| Considering item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=383] "From Witches to Widgets: A Witchfinder Intern’s Update"
Diag========| SQL: SELECT wp_30_posts.ID, wp_30_posts.guid, wp_30_posts.post_modified_gmt, wp_30_posts.post_name
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Diag====| Item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=383] "From Witches to Widgets: A Witchfinder Intern’s Update" is a duplicate of an existing post.
Diag| Considering item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=377] "Weeks 2 and 3 – Unravelling Anomalies and Starting the Website Transformation"
Diag========| SQL: SELECT wp_30_posts.ID, wp_30_posts.guid, wp_30_posts.post_modified_gmt, wp_30_posts.post_name
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WHERE 1=1 AND ((guid = 'https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=377'))
ORDER BY wp_30_posts.post_date DESC
Diag====| Item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=377] "Weeks 2 and 3 – Unravelling Anomalies and Starting the Website Transformation" is a duplicate of an existing post.
Diag| Considering item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=366] "A Witchfinder’s Quest : Ensuring Data Accuracy & Enhancing the Website"
Diag========| SQL: SELECT wp_30_posts.ID, wp_30_posts.guid, wp_30_posts.post_modified_gmt, wp_30_posts.post_name
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Diag====| Item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=366] "A Witchfinder’s Quest : Ensuring Data Accuracy & Enhancing the Website" is a duplicate of an existing post.
Diag| Considering item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=351] "Finding Impossible Witches: Part One The Search Begins"
Diag========| SQL: SELECT wp_30_posts.ID, wp_30_posts.guid, wp_30_posts.post_modified_gmt, wp_30_posts.post_name
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Diag====| Item [https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/witchcraft_visualisation/?p=351] "Finding Impossible Witches: Part One The Search Begins" is a duplicate of an existing post.
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thinking – Page 28 – Digital Learning Applications and Media
Any views expressed within media held on this service are those of the contributors, should not be taken as approved or endorsed by the University, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University in respect of any particular issue.
My name is Connie and I have just finished my 3rd year of a Master of Informatics (MInf) degree here at the University of Edinburgh. My main areas of interest are natural language processing and computer security. I am currently working on Media Hopper for the Digital Learning Application and Media department. Media Hopper is […]
Dr Chris Harlow (Programme Organiser Reproductive Biology Honours) and MRC Career Development Research Fellow Dr Erin Greaves integrate Wikipedia publishing and editing into Reproductive Biology Honours Semester One curriculum and the outcome was a first-rate entry of a previously unpublished medical term: neuroangiogenesis. This activity successfully delivered on several agendas: integrating digital literacies training and […]
My name is Craig, I’m 20 years old from nearby Dunfermline and I’m entering into the fourth year of an Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science degree here at Edinburgh. After my degree I intend to enter the computing industry in either a data analysis or natural language processing role, although I’m interested by most practical […]
Welcome to our blog. We are excited to highlight the new and creative ways in which the Digital Learning Applications and Media (DLAM) team are supporting the delivery of teaching, learning assessment, research and engagement activities. Among our various projects this year, we will be strongly focused on delivering a new media asset management system […]
Thank you, Karen! You are very much missed over here.
This is a brilliant idea David! Nice work :) I'm still learning from you all despite not working at UoE…
Hi Jackie, This sounds like an exciting creative project. Designing and animating custom stick figures from scratch is not that…
This is fascinating, particularly the idea of "coding without writing a single line." It really highlights the potential of prompt…
N.B. Closing date now extended to 23:59 on Wednesday, 4th of March.