Timeline JS is a free digital tool that allows a user to create a customized digital timeline. Its ease of access, both in accessing the tool and using it, make it unique.
Organizing research in a chronological format is a useful way to show trends and development. Using a timeline in my project will show how various events at Gettysburg influenced the others. I can also create parallel timelines that detail what social justice movements were taking place on other college campuses and across the nation. Because of the way Timeline JS is structured, I can embed multiple forms of media (such as Youtube videos or pictures) so that I can visually represent the people who were involved in each social justice instance.
Timeline JS is well known and documented. The timeline JS website has a documentation page featuring tips for beginners as well as links to FAQs and support forums. There is information about the Northwest University Knightlab (the Timeline JS creators) at the bottom of each page, and they provide means of contact.
Timeline JS provides each user with a template that adapts the user’s research and formats it into a timeline. The first thing the template asks for is the beginning and end dates of the event. The next section asks for a display title for each event, and a brief description of what happened. These titles can be hyperlinked to other pages. The template also provides a space for including media and documenting and captioning any media that’s used.
The only privacy concern associated with Timeline JS is that the template is hosted on google sheets, which means that a user needs to log in with their google account, which could provide Timeline JS with some of the user’s personal information.
Timeline JS is an easy tool to master. The spreadsheet is an easy means of compiling and presenting data. As a beginner, I had next to no problem using the program, and the questions I did have were easy to answer. Additionally, the program adapts the actual timeline according to any changes that are made in the spreadsheet, so it is easy to embed and work on continually.
I will absolutely be using Timeline JS in my project. Its most redeeming quality, in my opinion, is that it presents a timeline in a way that engages the user. The timeline output is clean and easy to navigate. Additionally, because it updates along with the spreadsheet, it allows for the potential to be updated as further social justice movements take place. I am confident that I will be able to use Timeline JS to both my advantage and the advantage of my users.
Excellent job; TimelineJS is widely used and works well with different types of date-based visualizations. The ability for it to be extensible and usable by others is a big factor; just remember that other people will have to be able to find and edit the Google Sheet with the data on it.