SoNAR (IDH) - Interfaces to Data for Historical Social Network Analysis and Research

SoNAR (IDH) is testing the development of a research technology for historical network analysis (HNA). The project ties in with the joint repositories of KPE, ZDB, and GND and closes a serious gap in the provision of resources for historical research. Researchers who use HNA to investigate topics and research questions will in future be able to access a standardized, supra-regional offering. Dealing with various subject-specific data formats or the recurring setup of specific technical infrastructures will become secondary; once the data has been recorded in the joint repositories, it will be available via SoNAR (IDH) through machine and intuitive user interfaces. Challenges to be addressed in the project include: quality and timeliness of processed data, transparency of processing and reproducibility of results, usability and expandability of the technology, visualization and interaction with data, data collection and correction, implementation and operation, and quality assurance of results.