Miriam Posner

Tag: research

  • The Case of the Missing Faces

    As I’ve often mentioned,  I’ve been working for quite some time on a study of the photographs of Walter Freeman. Freeman, a Washington, D.C., based physician, was the world’s foremost lobotomist; it’s estimated that he lobotomized some 3,500 people. He was also a prolific and dedicated photographer. He almost invariably took photos of his patients…

  • The digital humanities postdoc

    In the last few years, I’ve noticed a certain kind of job ad appearing with more and more frequency. I think of it as the “make digital humanities happen” postdoctoral fellowship. Often based in a library, these positions’ descriptions include some combination of “liaison,” “catalyst,” and “hub,” with a heavy dose of coordinator syndrome thrown…

  • Embarrassments of riches: Managing research assets

    Last updated May 15, 2013 There’s research, there’s writing, and then there’s that netherworld in between: wrangling all the digital files you gather over the course of your work. Digital files are often easier to deal with than stacks of paper, but they can also proliferate frighteningly quickly. I teach a workshop on this topic,…

  • Only fair!

    Here’s a curiosity I can’t resist sharing: the first National Science Fair in 1950 had a girls’ division and a boys’ division.

  • When in doubt, ask a real person

    Web-based research is great and all, but sometimes nothing beats talking to a real person. One of my favorite tricks when researching an obscure topic (like a certain kind of microphone) is to pick up the phone and call someone. In my experience, if you get in touch with the right person, he or she…

  • I do not understand the point of curated databases

    Lately I’ve been volunteering to do usability testing for Yale’s library. Well, “volunteering” is probably too generous a word, since Yale pays pretty well, in the form of iTunes and Barnes & Noble gift cards. I like the gift cards, but I love the excuse to rant about what I do and don’t like about…

  • R.I.P., Mudd Library

    Who could love a library named Mudd? Especially when the library in question looks like a bunker, has terrible lighting, and offers no good places to sit? Well, I do (or did), and I’ll tell you why.