I am so taken by your description of the sugar library and the processes(es) of its construction. What you describe reads to me like a methodology and I would encourage you to consider your work as archival method. That labor and its process, which may not be the centerpiece of your research work, sounds both compelling and incredible useful as a way for other scholars to trace similar implosions and surprising trajectories in their studies. One image that came to mind in reading your sketch is that your sugar library is akin to a map that traces and catalogs the expected and unexpected emergence of sugar cane in various forms while your dissertation traces a particular path or multiple paths across this map. I may have it wrong, however, both of these endeavors seem to be work of deep scholarly curiosity and commitment and I am excited to learn more about your findings.
