Beiträge zur Rechtsgeschichte Österreichs 2 / 2015, pp. 231-244, 2015/12/11
Frühneuzeitliche Supplikationspraxis und monarchische Herrschaft in europäischer Perspektive
When it comes to analyzing large numbers of historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, the approach of using a database seems promising. Implementing such a database requires special measures considering the nature of the data and the way historians construct knowledge about their research topics. This paper introduces a virtual research environment that supports collaborative research on supplications filed by subjects at the Imperial Aulic Council under the reign of Emperor Rudolf II (1576–1612). Special emphasise is given to conceptual problems rather than technical details, which is useful for anyone planning a similar project. After a short description of functional principles, it is discussed how the hermeneutic nature of historical research needs to be reflected in the software development process and how specialized interfaces for typical tasks like revision, annotation, normalization or analyzing the data can be provided.
Keywords: collaborative research, virtual research environment, research data, long time preservation, supplications