What is in the database?
The database consists of a set of events that various sources have identified as having contributed to the history of English, the history of teaching or the history of linguistics. These events have been taken from a range of sources and have been entered as stated by the author. Thus, the database is a record of the view of history as seen, not by elthistory.com, but by the cited sources (but see the section on 'histriography').
What information is there for each event?
For each event the following information is stored:
How have you decided on the classification of the events?
The events are firstly placed into one of three major groups: history of English; history of teaching; and history of linguistics. This is done according to the emphasis given to the event by the authors of the first few sources cited. Tags are then added according to the information the author gives about the event.
Is there a list of the all the sources used in compiling the history?
Yes. You can access it here. Although note that some sources may not be listed as they may be currently under review.
What are tags?
Tags are labels attached to events that can help you find the events you are interested in.
For example, if you were interested in finding all the dictionaries, or dictionary related events, in the history, then searching for the word 'dictionary' would only return those events that had the word 'dictionary' in their descriptions (click here for the results of this search). This would exclude some events such as Thomas Thomas 'Dictionarium'. However, searching for the tag 'dictionary' would ensure that all the events that the cited sources have identified as being related to dictionaries were returned.
Can I add my own tags to events?
Not yet. However, the ability to tag events yourself is scheduled for the next version of the database.
What are the different event link types?
There are currently 13 event link types: