3.1.1. Quick Start Guide

v4.0-beta

Archived: the 2025 v4 design

This page belongs to the 2025 design for WHG v4, which was superseded in 2026. It describes features and an architecture that WHG v4 does not have. For the current guide, see the User Guide.

Get up and running with the World Historical Gazetteer in minutes.

3.1.1.1. Note to Documentation Team

This should be a concise, task-oriented introduction. Consider:

  • Target completion time: 10-15 minutes

  • Include screenshots at key steps

  • Focus on the “aha moment” - getting users to see value quickly

  • Three primary user pathways: searcher/browser, data contributor, researcher

  • Consider video walkthrough to accompany this page

  • Include links to more detailed documentation for each step

  • Test with actual new users and iterate based on confusion points

3.1.1.2. What is the World Historical Gazetteer?

[Brief 2-3 sentence explanation of WHG’s purpose and value]

3.1.1.3. Three Minute Tour

3.1.1.3.1. 1. Search for a Place

Goal: Find historical information about a place you’re interested in.

[Step-by-step instructions with screenshots]

  • Navigate to the search interface

  • Enter a place name (e.g., “Constantinople”)

  • Observe temporal range slider

  • Click search

  • Explore the results showing multiple attestations across time

Key Insight: WHG shows how places have been known differently across time and cultures.

3.1.1.3.2. 2. Explore the Timeline

Goal: See how a place’s attributes change over time.

[Instructions]

  • Select a place from search results

  • Navigate to the timeline view

  • Observe name changes, geometric changes, type classifications over time

  • Use temporal controls to animate changes

Key Insight: WHG is temporally aware - every assertion has a time context.

3.1.1.3.3. 3. View the Map

Goal: Visualize spatial relationships and uncertainty.

[Instructions]

  • Switch to map view

  • Observe multiple geometries (points, polygons, uncertainty regions)

  • Toggle different time periods

  • See network connections if applicable

Key Insight: WHG captures spatial uncertainty and change.

3.1.1.4. Common User Pathways

3.1.1.4.1. For Researchers

“I want to find all mentions of places in my study region during a specific period”

→ Go to Advanced Search

“I want to trace trade routes or networks”

→ See Network Visualization

“I need to cite this data in my publication”

→ See Citation & Attribution

3.1.1.4.2. For Data Contributors

“I have a dataset of historical place names to contribute”

→ Start with Contribution Overview

“I want to link my data to WHG for reconciliation”

→ See Reconciliation Process

“I’ve found an error in an existing record”

→ See Editing Interface or report via [issue tracker]

3.1.1.4.3. For Educators

“I want to create a collection for my class”

→ See Creating Collections

“I need example datasets for teaching”

→ Browse Public Datasets

3.1.1.5. Core Concepts (5 Minute Read)

Before diving deeper, understand these key WHG concepts:

3.1.1.5.1. Places as Subjects

WHG represents places as subjects that can have multiple:

  • Names (toponyms in different languages, scripts, time periods)

  • Geometries (locations that may change or be uncertain)

  • Types (classifications like “city”, “monastery”, “battlefield”)

  • Relations (connections to other places)

3.1.1.5.2. Attestations

Every piece of information in WHG is an attestation - a claim from a source. This means:

  • Multiple sources can make different claims about the same place

  • Conflicting information coexists

  • Uncertainty is explicitly captured

  • Provenance is always traceable

3.1.1.5.3. Temporal Awareness

WHG is fundamentally temporal:

  • Every attestation has a timespan

  • Searches can be constrained by time

  • Visualizations can animate temporal change

  • “When was this true?” is as important as “Where was this?”

3.1.1.5.4. Networks & Relations

Places exist in relationship:

  • Trade routes connecting cities

  • Itineraries showing movement through places

  • Hierarchical relationships (part of, contains)

  • Equivalence relationships (same as)

3.1.1.6. Next Steps

Choose your path:

I want to explore existing data → Continue to Basic Search

I want to understand the data model → Read Understanding WHG Concepts

I want to contribute data → Start Preparing Your Data

I want to use the API → Jump to API Basics

I just want to browse around → Try Browsing Public Datasets

3.1.1.7. Getting Help

Stuck? Lost? Confused?