1.1.1. Quick Start Guide

v4.0-beta

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

1.1.1.1. 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

1.1.1.2. What is the World Historical Gazetteer?

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

1.1.1.3. Three Minute Tour

1.1.1.3.1. 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.

1.1.1.3.2. 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.

1.1.1.3.3. 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.

1.1.1.4. Common User Pathways

1.1.1.4.1. 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

1.1.1.4.2. 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]

1.1.1.4.3. For Educators

“I want to create a collection for my class”

→ See Creating Collections

“I need example datasets for teaching”

→ Browse Public Datasets

1.1.1.5. Core Concepts (5 Minute Read)

Before diving deeper, understand these key WHG concepts:

1.1.1.5.1. 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)

1.1.1.5.2. 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

1.1.1.5.3. 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?”

1.1.1.5.4. Networks & Relations

Places exist in relationship:

  • Trade routes connecting cities

  • Itineraries showing movement through places

  • Hierarchical relationships (part of, contains)

  • Equivalence relationships (same as)

1.1.1.6. 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

1.1.1.7. Getting Help

Stuck? Lost? Confused?