About History On-Line

History On-Line is being developed by the Institute of Historical Research (IHR). The IHR have been running a gateway and server since July 1993 with the primary aim of promoting high quality resources for the teaching and learning of history in the UK. The IHR has received funding from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) under JISC 5/99 Developing the DNER for Learning and Teaching to further develop History On-Line. The current project to develop History On-Line for teaching and learning builds on existing resources and relationships to establish a comprehensive service for the UK higher education community, with information not only about on-line resources for historians, but also about the history profession (books, journal articles, current research and teaching, and university lecturers).

Aims

The overall aims of the History On-Line project are to:

• enhance the history content on the Humbul humanities hub;


• contribute to the development of a cross-searchable inter-disciplinary service for higher education in the UK;


• develop existing on-line databases for the purposes of learning and teaching;


• undertake a programme of resource discovery aimed at teachers and students of history.

Project Design

The project involves the cataloguing and evaluation of web sites and on-line resources, and their integration with exisiting IHR databases (containing information on books and articles, and the UK history profession). These exisiting databases continue to be updated regularly.

The selection of history web sites and on-line resources is being carried out in conjunction with the Humbul Humanities Hub. Suitable web site are evaluated by the IHR, using the selection criteria established by Humbul, and catalogued via the humanities hub. The records arising from this project are made available to users on both the Humbul and History On-Line web sites, and form part of the content of the RDN. The evaluated web sites and on-line resources are also included in learning and teaching packages such as the IHR's History in Focus.

The project will serve the needs of the community of higher and further education in the UK. In order to effectively serve the needs of this community the IHR communicates on a regular basis with current and potential users to assess the usefulness and relevance of the service, as well as to receive feedback on potential improvements.

Funding

As well as receiving funding from the JISC, History On-Line is also supported by the following publishers: Adam Matthew Publications Ltd., Ashgate, Blackwell Publishers, Boydell & Brewer, Cambridge University Press, Hodder Arnold, Manchester University Press, Oxford University Press, Palgrave, SAGE Publications, Yale University Press.

The IHR has received funding from the JISC to develop History On-Line further in conjunction with the Humbul Humanities Hub. History On-Line is also funded by UK publishers: Adam Matthew Publications Ltd., Ashgate, Blackwell Publishers, Boydell & Brewer, Cambridge University Press, Hodder Arnold, Manchester University Press, Oxford University Press, Palgrave, SAGE Publications, Yale University Press. More about History On-Line.

December 2003