One of the tools that we learned during this week of the DSSF program was TimelineJs. TimelineJs is important to me because I plan to use it to present my research in my project. TimelineJs allows you to input data regarding an image and a text related to that image into an interactive timeline. The timelines are very easy to learn how to make because it allows the user to import said information into a Google Form, which is then converted into the timeline. Google Drive programs, like Google Form, are very simple and allow for a wide range of accessibility considering the basic aspects of the tool. This digital tool can help a scholar or researcher visualize the time of their data and it makes it easy to find certain facts and events based on their time in history. This tool is great for visual learners who like to see the information presented as interactive or within something that is interactive. This tool if free to use, which adds to the open accessibility aspect of the digital tool. All it takes to use this tool is a simple download which helps with its popularity. This tool is not necessarily for scholars who look to make an extremely complicated timeline. TimelineJs seems more for scholars who are either just learning about digital tools or who are trying to make a simple site for a project or presentation.
This tool seems to have little bias considering how simple and open it is. TimelineJs allows for any user to input any data they wish, which automatically makes it a non-bias tool. The creators have made no harsh assumptions. The only assumptions the creators made was that people using it are not as advanced, therefore it is made to be easy. This tool is seems easy to master, which is great for college scholars who have little experience with digital timelines. I plan to use TimelineJs to timeline bias reports leading up to the 2016 election. I believe that the simple visual aspect of the tool will be good for my project and allow for whoever is accessing it to have no trouble navigating the site. TimelineJs allows for both images and videos to be imputed, which means that my data can be presented in a variety of ways within the timeline. Video news broadcasts as well as news transcripts can both be seen on the timeline leading up to the election. TimelineJs seems to be one of the most simple tools that we have learned yet. Even though it is simple, the end product that it creates seems very professional and clean. I see myself using TimelineJs for projects outside of this one, and other digital humanities projects can certainly benefit from this program as well. Unrelated, this tool is not only easy but it is fun to use. The end product of a professional looking timeline that you have complete control of it what makes this tool fun to use. Overall, this tool seems very helpful for my project and for scholarly projects I wish to tackle beyond this.
I think the value of having a tool that presents something in a clean and professional looking format, while also being easy to use, is that it encourages people to get started with DH and then look for other things that may be just a bit better! TimelineJS was originally designed for journalists who needed a quick but still good-looking way to develop interactive timelines that could be placed on a journalism webpage, which is why all of the Knight Lab tools tend to be both easy to use and professional looking.