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-------- Original Message -------- Subject: New Methods Network online community forum: 'Tools and Methods for the Digital Historian' Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:06:03 +0000 From: AHRC ICT Methods Network methnet@KCL.AC.UK Reply-To: AHRC ICT Methods Network methnet@KCL.AC.UK To: AHDS-HISTORY@JISCMAIL.AC.UK

The AHRC ICT Methods Network, a UK initiative for the exchange and dissemination of expertise in the use of ICT for arts and humanities research, has just launched an online community forum on ‘digital’ history:

‘Tools and Methods for the Digital Historian’ (http://www.digital-historian.net) is the first of a set of integrated online communities related to Methods Network activities and resources and is a forum for open discussion of all issues relating to digital history. In particular we invite comments on a working paper by Neil Grindley (Methods Network) entitled ‘Tools and Methods for Historical Research’ which we hope will become the basis of a community resource. We are keen on getting more input and would very much like to include your feedback in future versions of the paper.

This paper contains sections on: Tools and Web Resources; Database Structures; Data Mining; Quantitative Methods; Visualization; and Geographical Information Systems. It may appeal to different types of readers in different ways. Some people might find this paper contains useful introductory material to digital tools and methods and may wish to explore a number of useful links to relevant websites. Those who already have a sophisticated understanding of the use of ICT tools for historical research might wish to use the contents of this paper as a jumping off point for discussing other areas of research that have not been referred to, or which have been mentioned and would benefit from additional elucidation.

The paper can be downloaded from our website as a PDF: http://www.methodsnetwork.ac.uk/resources/workingpapers.html

Two topics in the new forum might be of particular interest to readers of the AHDS-History list and we would be keen on your input:

http://www.digital-historian.net/viewtopic.php?id=4 this thread started as a discussion about electronic publishing and now features a discussion of the value of ‘Web 2.0’ for research

http://www.digital-historian.net/viewtopic.php?id=12 this thread continues the discussion about electronic publishing and asks about tools and methods for electronic publishing platforms for researchers

For all questions regarding 'Digital Historian' and Methods Network community building in general please contact our Senior Research Project Coordinator Torsten Reimer (Torsten.Reimer@kcl.ac.uk).