Project Management in the Humanities

Conference chair: Lynne Siemens (UVic)

10:00am – 12:00pm PDT Wednesday, 14 June

Project management is a tool that has long been associated with business. Its use in the academy is increasing as projects grow beyond the scope of a single researcher. Funding agencies are encouraging this trend by requesting detailed and realistic work plans as part of grant applications. However, challenges exist for the application of project management to research projects. For example, research goals may be articulated but the methodology to accomplish them is not well understood. This is further complicated by the fact that researchers see the application of these tools as rigid management approaches, perhaps not suited for the academy.

Having said this, due to increasingly collaborative interdisciplinary projects, many humanities scholars find themselves as “instant” or “accidental” managers. They are leading teams of researchers from a variety of disciplines, research assistants, librarians and others, as well as managing financial and other resources. This is something for which they are often not prepared due to a lack of training in this area.

Note: To access any materials for this event that have been shared only with DHSI 2023 registrants, please visit the Project Management in the Humanities page in the main DHSI 2023 group (also available via the DHSI 2023 group's left-hand menu).

Project Management in the Humanities Call for Papers

This raises questions for exploration with regard to the application of project management in the humanities generally and digital humanities more specifically. These include:

• What does project management look like in the humanities and digital humanities?
•  What skills and knowledge are needed?
• What is the best way to engage and train researchers in the use of these tools and skills?
• What tools are the most effective for managing projects within the humanities and digital humanities?
• What particular challenges do academics face using project management?
• What can be learned from the review of the use of project management in other contexts, such as libraries?
• How can students be managed within a project management framework?
• What does project management look like in the age of COVID-19?