Archive Network / Institutional collaboration
A shared foundation for source-linked historical knowledge.
Geyserich’s long-term infrastructure direction begins with the institutions that hold historical records. We invite archives, libraries, universities, monasteries and cultural institutions to define pilots for source-linked historical datasets. The proposed workflow combines collection description, AI-assisted interpretation and researcher review under the institution’s access conditions.
Archive Network is a proposed partnership framework. The process below is a proposal for discussion, not a report of existing institutional agreements.
01 / Institutional audiences
Collection context determines the method.
The starting point is the institution’s collection and the questions its researchers need to answer.
Archives & libraries
Explore handwritten registers and manuscripts with catalogue context, stable references and clear access conditions.
Universities & researchers
Define research questions in historical language processing, entity resolution and evidence-linked knowledge graphs.
Monasteries & cultural institutions
Discuss multilingual records, specialist interpretation and discovery that respects custodial responsibilities.
02 / A proposed pilot
An agreed scope, method and handover.
Define the intended dataset and review criteria together. The pilot should document which records can be interpreted, which connections are supported and which questions remain unresolved.
- 01
Define collection scope
Agree a bounded sample, research question, languages and record types. Establish access conditions, permitted uses of images and derived data, reviewers and publication rights before processing.
- 02
Digitize and structure records
Assess existing scans and catalogue descriptions. Where digitization is needed, agree responsibility and image requirements with the institution. Organise document references and metadata so each derived statement can be traced to its source.
- 03
Apply AI-assisted extraction
Explore transcription, interpretation and extraction of persons, places, dates and events within the agreed pilot scope. Retain passage references, ambiguous readings and candidate relationships for expert assessment.
- 04
Expert review and knowledge transfer
Subject experts assess readings and relationships against the sources. Agree a handover of source-linked data, review decisions, unresolved questions and method documentation in suitable export formats. Evaluate limitations before considering a wider collection.
03 / Collaboration principles
The source stays at the centre.
These are the principles we propose agreeing with each institution before a pilot begins.
Collection authority
Agree access, permitted uses and publication rights with the collection holder. A pilot should not imply permission to publish source material.
Traceable interpretation
Retain references to the collection, record and passage. Distinguish a transcription, a proposed match and a reviewed conclusion.
Knowledge transfer
Agree export requirements, method documentation and review records at the outset. The institution should be able to inspect the dataset and the reasoning behind its interpretations.
Collection enquiries
Define a proposed collection pilot.
Tell us about the collection type, approximate scope, languages, access conditions and research question. An initial discussion does not require transferring collection material.
Contact Geyserich ↗