HEURIST (http://HeuristNetwork.org) is an extremely flexible, end-user oriented, web-based data management system designed specifically for Humanities data. Developed since 2005, it has been in active use across many projects since 2009. It is available both as a free web service for researchers (hosted at the University of Sydney Data Centre) or for installation on a physical or virtual server (Open Source on gitHub).
Researchers can design, create, manage, analyse, visualise and publish their own richly-structured database(s) through a simple web interface, without the need for programmer(s). Quite complex databases can be built in a few hours by borrowing structures and vocabularies published by other users. Databases can be designed and built incrementally, as existing data are not affected by changes in structure. Databases created by Heurist are stored in MySQL with a repeatable structure facilitating sustainability and independent access by other software.
Advanced features include record linking, graph structure, drill-down facet searches, rule-based queries, custom reports, linked map-timelines, network visualisation, normalised spreadsheet import, crosstabulation, XML feeds, XSLT transforms. The team provides initial email and skype assistance for project setup at no cost, and special customisations at modest cost.
Heurist is applicable in many domains including History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Cultural Research, Linguistics, Media Studies etc. It handles everything from text, tags and categories, through networks of rich relationships and offset annotations, to images, video, spatial data and dating (including non-western systems and dating uncertainty).
Sophisticated searches (including faceted and rule-based) can be saved, organised and rendered as layered interactive maps, timelines, network visualisations, crosstabulations, lists, custom reports, XML and XSLT transforms, all of which can easily be printed or embedded (live) in a website - Heurist provides the html code required to embed results in a web page or CMS.
Databases can easily be migrated later to a personal or institutional server. Since the data are stored in a standard MySQL database with a fixed and well-documented structure, the data can be accessed directly via SQL from most programming languages independently of Heurist.
Version 4.2 (Jan 2016 onwards) is available as a service via the Heurist website. Version 4 delivers a user-customisable interface of widgets, along with better mapping and visualisation. Existing version 3 databases are bidirectionally compatible with version 4.
Artifex Press is a publishing and technology company that digitally publishes catalogues raisonnés, a comprehensive, annotated documentation of all of the known artworks by an artists. They have developed a proprietary, patented software platform and a dedicated publishing program in order to create digital catalogues raisonnés. They offer both their own digital catalogues raisonnés and the ability to licence the software to produce your own projects.
Catalogues raisonnés have typically been published book but the information they contain is constantly in flux and printed versions are rarely complete and accurate for long. The online version produced by Artifex Press is more accessible, more flexible, more time- and cost-efficient, and above all, more accurate and up-to-date than the traditional printed counterpart.In addition to the digital publication, Artifex Press creates digital archives for all the artists with whom they work.
The Artifex Press software is available for licensing, for catalogue raisonné projects run by outside organizations including artist studios, foundations, and estates. The company is open to new collaborations looking to preserve the legacy and intellectual property of artists and estates.
Research & Archive Tool
Digital content management:
create links between artworks, publications, exhibitions, collectors, venues, institutions, and other relevant categories
build artwork records with data files such as title, date, medium, dimensions, inscriptions, editions, provenance, condition, installation instructions, and comments
store multiple images and private documents in each record
Web-accessible: software is available anywhere with an internet connection
Unlimited storage: there are no storage limits and performance of your catalogue is not affected by large data sets
Attention to your needs: Software has been shaped by the feedback of multiple catalogue editors, researchers, and artist studio managers to determine the most useful, practical, and intuitive tools and features
Compatibility: You can import existing databases and convert them to fit Artifex fields without losing information
Publishing Tool
Publish to a selected audience only: control your user group or make your content available to the public
Publish while withholding confidential information: define public and archive only sections of your collection
Flexible design: customize the look and feel of your catalogue including the homepage, artwork views and editorial pages
Ease of navigation: design features have been rigorously tested to ensure ease of use
Multimedia content: include any number of images, videos, audio clips, and other multimedia content
Real-time accuracy & cataloguing: by updating provenance as well as exhibition and literature histories, you can maintain the accuracy of the content; you can also expand the catalogue to include newly discovered information and newly created artworks.
Assistance: Artifex Press are available to make the editing and publishing process as easy as possible.
For more information or to set up a live tour of the software and learn about their research & editorial servces contact: info@artifexpress.com