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Advice to data creators

This section of the web site contains information for individuals and organisations interested in creating digital resources from historical sources.

History Data Service online resources

Planning historical digitisation projects - this introductory guide highlights important issues that anyone planning to create a digital resource for research, learning or teaching in history or an associated discipline should address.

Guides to Good Practice - the AHDS Guides to Good Practice were published by the Arts and Humanities Data Service and provide practical instruction in applying recognised standards and good practice to the creation and use of digital resources. Two Guides to Good Practice were commissioned by the History Data Service (or AHDS History as the service was known between 2003-2008). These are Digitising History: a guide to creating electronic resources from historical documents (1999) and A Place in History: a guide to using GIS in historical research (2003).

Guidelines for documenting historical data - this introductory guide on outlines why good documentation is important and provides guidelines for documenting historical data resources.

Online resources provided by other services

Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS)

The ESDS is a national data service providing access and support for an extensive range of key economic and social data, both quantitative and qualitative, spanning many disciplines and themes. It provides advice to data creators on a number of key areas, these include:

• Ethical and legal considerations (particularly relating to social science research)
• Identifiers and anonymisation: dealing with confidentiality
• Data management - guidance on data managment strategies, quality control, and backing up data
• Audio-visual equipment

Arts and Humanities Data Service (1996-2008)

• Guides to Good Practice - indicate best practice and good standards in digitisation for Arts and Humanties researchers
• Information Papers - provide information on a range of issues relating to creating and preserving digital resources
• ICT Guides - The ICT Guides website is designed to help arts and humanities researcher find out more about the use of ICT in their work by providing information about methods, projects tools, training resources and case studies

Other Services

• AHRC ICT Methods Network (2005-2008) - The AHRC ICT Methods network provides resouces that detail how advanced academic research is made possible or enhanced by the application of advanced ICT Methods.