Database Computing for Scholarly Research

This book discusses in detail a series of case-study examples from projects using the Online Cultural and Historical Research Environment that illustrate the wide range of types of data that can be managed, the wide applicability of the methods being used, and the wide variety of problems that are solved by the OCHRE graph data model. With appropriate justification and explanation of the unique features of this database system, these case studies help the reader imagine other applications of an item-based approach. Data generated by studies in the humanities and social sciences is often unstructured, semi-structured, fragmented, highly variable, and subject to many interpretations, making it difficult, by definition, to represent adequately. But by applying simple computational principles informed by lessons from database design and data modeling, the authors examine typical approaches to data representation and data management and offer a compelling argument for holding the application of database software in scholarly research to a higher standard. This book is a challenge to scholars in the humanities and social sciences to expect more from technology in the pursuit of research goals. Written jointly by a computer scientist and a research scholar, each with many years of experience in applying database technology of various kinds to scholarly data of various kinds, it acknowledges common practice among academics in their use of technology, and urges "best practice" in order to get better value from research data.