Exploring Big Historical Data: The Historian's Macroscope

The book explores how Big Data can be used to construct cultural heritage knowledge, for research and teaching and learning. It introduces the different tools and developing approaches in Big Data for historical and humanistic scholarship, and discusses the questions and new perspectives it opens up. It is a valuable resource for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and local historical societies.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 02 April 2022
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd

The availability of an increasing variety of historical data presents both exciting opportunities and unique challenges. This revised and expanded book explores and showcases the various methods by which these data can be utilized to construct cultural heritage knowledge, facilitate research, and enhance teaching and learning. It aims to assist humanities scholars in understanding and leveraging Big Data, whether it involves comprehending the underlying algorithms of search engines or developing custom tools to process vast amounts of information. By demonstrating the potential of digital tools and the impact they have on our understanding of the past, the authors introduce a range of Big Data tools and approaches tailored for historical and humanistic scholarship. They provide guidance on how to utilize these tools effectively, identify potential limitations and considerations, and discuss the diverse questions and fresh perspectives that this macroscopic perspective opens up.

Originally conceived as a live online resource with ongoing feedback from the broader digital history community, Exploring Big Historical Data pioneers new ground and sets the trajectory for future discussions. This book is an invaluable resource for undergraduate and graduate students navigating a vast corpus of data, as well as researchers encountering these methods for the first time. It also serves as a helpful guide for individuals interested in deciphering genealogical data or digitized newspapers, and even local historical societies seeking to harness the value of digitizing their holdings.

ISBN-13: 9789811243981
Edition number: Second Edition