Who we are Founded in 1993
Formerly known as the History Data Service
One of the five centres of the Arts and Humanities Data Services
Which is funded by the JISC and AHRB
Team of historians and IT specialists
Based in the UK Data Archive, University of Essex
What we do
AHDS History collects, preserves, and promotes the
use of digital resources, which result from or support historical
research, learning and teaching.
What we actually do Provide advice and training about creating,
describing, using and preserving historical digital resources
Collect and preserve historical digital resources
Provide access to a wide-ranging collection of historical digital resources
Establish thematic special collections, and enrich and enhance selected data collections
Promote standards and best practice in the creation, description, use and preservation of historical digital resources
Advice
Full advice service to creators of historical digital historical material
Managing a digitisation project Data development Documenting a digital resource Digitisation methodologies Standards Sustainability and Preservation
Email: [email protected]: 01206 872326
Publications
Guides to Good Practice Digitising history: a guide to creating
electronic resources from historical documents
A Place in History: A Guide to Using GIS in Historical Research
Information Papers
Case Studies
AHDS Collection
Over 600 separate data collections
transcribed, scanned or compiled from
historical sources.
Temporal coverage
The studies cover a wide range of historical topics, from the fifth century to the mid-twentieth century.
Religion, Dynasty and Patronage in Rome, 440-840
Credit, Class and Community: Working Class Belfast, 1930-2000
Trans-National Database and Atlas of Saints' Cults, c.700-2000
Geographic coverage
European State Finance Database Social History of Alcohol in East
Africa, 1850-1998 Prohibition Movement in the United
States, 1801-1920 Demography of Sri Lanka, 1900-
1954
Primary focus of the collection is on the United Kingdom, it also includes a significant body of cross-national and international data collections.
Strengths
19th and 20th century economic and social history
Census data (1881 100% sample; 1851 2% sample; local census returns)
Great Britain Historical Database online Taxation materials Welsh and Irish historical statistics Electoral data Criminal court records (e.g. a collection of
datasets on violent crimes 1600-1900) Agricultural statistics State finance data Economic indicators/industrial production data