Towards Big Data: Digitising Economic and Business History

Abstract

This chapter describes the experiences in computational and digital history of economic and business historians who for decades have been forerunners in digital history data gathering and computational analysis. It attempts to discuss the major developments within this area internationally and, in some specific cases, in Finland in the fields of digital economic and business history. It concentrates on a number of research projects that the authors have previously been involved in, as well as research outcomes by other economic and business historians within Finland and elsewhere. It is not claimed that the projects discussed are unique or ahead of their time in the field of economic and business history—on the contrary they are representing a more general state of the art within the field and used as illustrative cases illuminating the possibilities and challenges facing historians in the digital era.