A new approach for the construction of historical databases—NoSQL Document-oriented databases: the example of AtlantoCracies

Abstract

This article proposes, and justifies, the use of the Document-oriented databases as a flexible, easy to use, and powerful digital tool in the field of historical research. First, the reasons that have made relational databases the predominant instrument among historians are studied, while detailing the problems involved in their use. Next, the way in which historians have tried to face these problems by using other digital tools is explained, as well as the limitations that such use entails. Through a case study—that of European aristocratic networks in early modern times—it is shown, however, that Document-oriented databases, present notable advantages and have greater explanatory power for the historian’s work. Thanks to their flexibility, they are better adapted to the often-unpredictable nature of historical sources without diminishing their ease of use or their analytical potential.