Traditionally historians have acquired their data by visiting libraries and archive collections. On visiting these libraries and archives to carry out their research, the first port of call for most historians upon arrival was usually to seek assistance from the librarian or the archivist, who in turn referred them to a card index or printed guide (Organ et al, 1996). However over the last twenty to thirty years the world has experienced the internet revolution. In this essay we will discuss how has the internet changed the way historians work?
At the start of the information technology revolution, personal computers were the most obvious tool attributed to how historians work, however as the use of internet was still yet to be available widespread, Gorst et al (1997, 139) suggests they have mainly been used simply as replacements for pen and paper, as little more than glorifies type-writers or calculators to manipulate and represent data collected in the archive.
Formerly, research was almost invariably restricted to the material available in-house, or it was necessary to travel to access external collections. As previously mentioned, comprehensive card indexes and listings were compiled for individual holdings and where possible, listings were circulated between institutions (Organ et al, 1996).
The developments in information technology have meant that a growing amount of primary source material has become available to historians desktop computers via the internet (Gorst et al, 1996, 139). This development has significant implications for the researcher in modern British history, as it potentially changes the way historical research will be undertaken. The internet is a tool, which in theory provides access to a storehouse of...
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...es, at least those in in institutions such as academic libraries and museums, mounted websites. A lot of repositories today have digitized primary materials.
Easy and almost universal access is another advantage (Robert, 2012) as academic libraries are increasingly available online as a huge majority of UK and US universities have established their own history sites which now contain valuable information as opposed to the start of the information technology revolution where these sites were merely concerned with advertising the department and its courses, so it is possible to conduct complex searches. And given the the increasing number of history titles being published year on year, this facility is an invaluable aid, both to the construction of preliminary bibliographies and the checking of references in footnotes when writing up research (Gorst et al, 1997, 143)
...es are manipulated for his argument. Goldhagen’s controversial and stimulating study encourages research to continue and in 2013 Jewish leaders pressured Pope Francis to open the Vatican archives from 1939-1947. The opening of these archives will instigate more investigations in this field and until these archives are opened the historical record will not be clarified. The importance of these archives illustrates the interesting nature of historical literature. The study of history focuses predominantly around primary materials, however these materials do not provide a definitive depiction of the past. Historians analyze primary sources to deduce an interpretation of the past. The discrepancies between historian’s interpretations form historiographical debate. It would be interesting to examine the extent to which historians are perhaps just academic storytellers.
The web created an explosion in production, self-published content, and new forms of machine art. Through contrasting physical and digital print media, it will be shown that the Internet enhances aspects of the printing press in defining itself. Functional Factors At its beginnings, the internet crafted a new but familiar form of manufacturing: the mass production of digital texts. In fact, in 1440 Gutenberg first originated the idea of mass production of texts with his invention of the Printing Press. For the first time, an automated process was able to replicate the script.
In today’s fast paced modern society, there are many individual’s who wish we could turn back time to the where we weren’t surrounded by computers, cell phones and all manners of surveillance and recording. Many say that these things have added a hassle to our lives by being striped away from our own personal privacy and educational learning experiences. However, the evolvement of new technology during the industrial revolution was more then just the loss of privacy and quality education, but the loss of jobs that many blue collared workers relied on. In the English industrial revolution of the 19th century, industries were being revolutionized by new mechanization and organizational techniques which took the place of hand produced work. This
Web. 27 Mar. 2014. "Digital History." Digital History. College of Education, 2014. Web.
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About.com - 20th Century History. N.p., n.d. Web. The Web. The Web.
Computers are a magnificent feat of technology. They have grown from simple calculators to machines with many functions and abilities. Computers have become so common that almost every home has at least one computer, and schools find them a good source for information and education for their students (Hafner, Katie, unknown). Computers have created new careers and eliminated others and have left a huge impact on our society. The invention of the computer has greatly affected the arts, the business world, and society and history in many different areas, but to understand how great these changes are, it is necessary to take a look at the origins of the computer.
A library or information unit must have a dedicated plan on having an organized Collection Development Policy, represents the guideposts of all types of library institutions. Collection development is the process of planning, selecting, acquiring and evaluating the library collections’ convenience to print and electronic collection developments. Thus, it is essential to have a written collection development policy, a statement of general collection building principles with desalinating the purpose and content of a collection in terms of relevance and internal audiences (Clayton and Gorman 2007). Broadly, the international and local libraries have sketched written collection development policies which they are aware of its uses. Recently, the written policies consistently renewed with the rise of digital collections. However, the value of the written collection development plan shakes with the complexity of managing electronic resources, funding and time considerations, criticism on how it written and also its inflexibility. This essay will examine the arguments for having the advantages of the written collection development policy (CDP) and the issues evolve which against the latter.
The proponents of technology have always believed that technology is a product of independent creation and thus follows its own pace. They say that technology is forceful and society does not have a choice but to adapt to the changes that it imposes on the people. The members of any particular society may not be actually happy with the change but eventually they learn to accept it, as a result of which the process of change comes a full circle. This idea however is debatable because many critics point out that technology is in fact a planned phenomenon. Not only this but also they point out that there are certain forces that control and introduce technology into the society and that the expected changes from such an introduction is said to be a deliberate attempt at transforming the society. Marshall McLuhan wrote extensively about this subject in his book The Gutenberg Galaxy. The book is basically about the changes that were imposed in the European society as a result of the creation of the printing press in the fifteenth century. It was this printing press that was responsible for a number of changes in the society, which include the social, political and economic forces that were present at the time. The printing press was primarily responsible for the Protestant Reformation because a large number of bibles were available for everyone to read which meant, “Every man can be a priest.” The following essay will thus attempt to discuss McLuhan’s ideas in the light of the phenomenon of technology and discuss whether it is relevant to the current revolution in electronic publishing. The initial Gutenberg revolution discussed by McLuhan is just an introduction of other things to come. He is more interested in finding out about the...
Now that we are living in an ever changing world, technology is viewed as the most resourceful tool in keeping up with the pace. Without the use of technology, communication would be limited to using mail for delivery and encyclopedias for research. Although technology has improved the way we communicate and find information for research, the information is not always valid. Unfortunately, for those of us who use the internet for shopping, research, or reading articles of personal interest the information is not treated the same as a your magazine or book. While such literature is reviewed by an editorial staff, internet literature or information can be published by anyone. In order to reap the full benefit of having the use of technology for any purpose, there are five basic criteria’s one must keep in mind as an evaluating tool for deciding whether or not the particular website is a reliable source for information.
There is no doubt that computers are firmly implanted in our nation’s daily existence. Everyday I use a computer at least once, either writing a paper, surfing the Internet or checking my e-mail. On a recent trip to the library to do research I was quickly escorted by a librarian to the variety of computer databases, which are the fastest and most current source of information I found a survey in Statistical Abstracts of the United States comparing students use of computers in kindergarten through college from 1984 to 1993. A total of 27.3% of students used computers in schools in 1984, while a total of 59.0% used computers in 1993. This shows a steady rise in scholastic computer use and these figures are probably greatly inflated by now in 1997.
Narrative is an integral aspect of an effective historical composition. An effective narrative can provide important sensory details that analysis may omit. David Hackett Fischer conveys, “To reconstruct a series of happenings, the best and only instrument is narrative.” Even so, many historians still struggle with the agency of narrative in scholarly works. Similar sentiments are paid to the genre of biography in a historical context. Biography is equally controversial, as many historians have dissenting opinions regarding its usage as well as its formal definition.