Data for Database as a General Manuscript Index

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HIL_POLATA_17-18_HAMER.pdf (445.04 KB)

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1987-12

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William R. Veder, Slavisch Seminarium, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Postbus 19188, 1000 GD Amsterdam (Holland)

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Abstract

There is an obvious place for a comprehensive "union catalogue" database available to all researchers and covering the main categories of manuscript study. Such a database should complement but in no way be a substitute for more specialised database projects, such as those already in existence or in process of creation, just as none of these should become a substitute for the conventional scholarly manuscript catalogue in book form. This paper contains some thoughts resulting from the author’s own attempt to devise a relational database for use as a general index, whose objects are to facilitate location or listing of manuscripts of various types using, if necessary, multiple criteria (such as "All MSS of works by Bede written in England in the 13th century"), and to direct researchers to other indexes, databases and printed catalogues. Such a database must contain enough basic information to achieve its aims, but should avoid the temptation to become too comprehensive. Other items can, after all, easily be added at a later stage, or the whole or parts of the database can be duplicated for use as the basis of other databases for more specialised purposes. Polata 17-18: 65.

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Richard Hamer, Christ Church, Oxford, England
This paper was presented at the "International Data Bases for Medieval Manuscript Studies" conference at Katholieke Universiteit, Nijmegen, September 1987.

Keywords

Computer encoding of manuscript descriptions, Cataloging manuscripts, Manuscript Description

Citation

Polata Knigopisnaia: an Information Bulletin Devoted to the Study of Early Slavic Books, Texts and Literatures, v17-18 (December 1987), 65-72

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http://hdl.handle.net/1811/51978

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Polata Knigopisnaia: Volume 17-18 (December 1987)