Frequently Asked Questions

Why Digital Humanities Now?

Many members of the digital humanities field generously share their work on the open web. Our goal is to bring attention to those contributions that feature research findings, methods, theories, pedagogies, or practice. “Now” is part of the name because the materials we distribute are typically released in the previous two weeks.

DHNow also is a critical case study for experimenting with PressForward methodology (curation of aggregated content by communities of scholars) and technology (an open source WordPress plugin to facilitate sourcing and distribution). Finally, DHNow provides an opportunity for graduate students and faculty at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University to survey the broad scope of digital humanities practice and implement a collaborative digital humanities project.

Who selects the content for DHNow?

Though originally automated, since June 2012, each week a group of volunteer Editors-at-Large uses the PressForward plugin and the Nominate This bookmarklet to nominate items from our collection of RSS feeds and from their own sources.

Learn about our volunteers and how to sign up here.

Rotating Editors-in-Chief select content for publication, while our site manager prepares posts and manages communication with our editors. Currently Editor-in-Chief responsibilities rotate among research faculty and graduate students at RRCHNM with dedicated time for this project.

You can read our criteria described here.

How can I submit a news announcement?

If you are already an Editor-at-Large, you may use the Nominate This bookmarklet at any time, not just during your scheduled week. If you are not an editor-at-large, you can sign up to become one and gain access to the Nominate This bookmarklet. Learn how to register on our Editors-at-Large page.

How can I get an RSS feed considered for DHNow?

If you would like to submit an RSS feed to be added to DHNow’s PressForward plugin, please fill out this form. If you are a current or former Editor-at-Large, you can also use the PressForward bookmarklet (found in the Tools section of the PressForward plugin menu) to nominate a feed associated with an item.

How can I see the work that you consider?

If you would like to read everything we monitor then you can view or subscribe to the unfiltered feed from the collection of feeds in the plugin.

What technology do you use?

We publish using WordPress. Since June 2013 we have been using our own PressForward plugin to aggregate, nominate, and review content via RSS feeds. Currently in beta, we are extending the functionality and user interface of the plugin. You can track our development or download the plugin from WordPress or GitHub, or see screenshots and instructions here.

In February 2016, we launched a new user management plugin that will let our Editors-at-Large take more control over their profile on the site. This new plugin allows users to select and manage their volunteer dates and provide as much or as little biographical information as they would like to share, and streamlines our communication with weekly editors. You can find out more by checking out our Editors’ Corner.

How have your methods changed over time?

You can read about our previous iterations here:

How can I participate?

If you would like to participate in the selection process, consider becoming a volunteer Editor-at-Large.

How can I start a “now” publication for my own field?

We are happy to discuss how you might develop a similar publication for your field using the PressForward plugin or methodologies. We have helped dh+lib, Ant, Spider, Bee, MicroBEnet and others. Visit pressforward.org to find out more about our partner publications, methodologies, and the PressForward plugin.