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Research@ StAndrews blog. Monday, 6 February 2012 … Welcome. This blog is an introduction to the vibrant research community at the University of St Andrews . Email: rpo@ st – andrews .ac.uk. Search This Blog. Loading.

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Research@StAndrews blog: Between Ecstasy and Truth

Globalisation may seem a modern phenomenon – but a study into the rise of the British Empire will likely show mass worldwide trading of goods is not new. A special software technique used by experts at the University of St Andrews will be able to survey thousands of documents which will vastly speed up information gathering. Historians and computing experts will use the bespoke software to trawl thousands of historic documents for details of trade movements between Britain and the rest of the world in the 19 th century. The project will detail the economic and environmental impact of shipping valuable commodities such as building materials, tea, fruit, and spices. Researchers will use “text mining” to survey thousands of digitised documents. Sources will include British and Canadian government documents, newspapers from around the world, books and journals. Text mining is faster than manual reading and can place information in context. It can, for example, distinguish between Washington as a place or surname. It can also differentiate references to materials as commodities, such as mahogany timber but not mahogany furniture. It also understands variations in records of weights, measures, dates and prices. The project is being carried out in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and York University, Canada. Professor Aaron Quigley, from the University of St Andrews, said: “Our research here on exploratory visualisation allows historians to trace the flow of a wide range of natural resources around the globe. “By working with world experts in text mining within the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance and domain experts in York University, Canada, we can bridge the research divide and answer historical questions on trading.” The University of Edinburgh’s reference and archive centre, EDINA, will store information garnered in the study. The two-year project forms part of Digging for Data, a wider initiative by JISC, the UK’s digital information body. Professor Ewan Klein, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics, who is leading the project, said: “We think of globalisation as a particularly recent phenomenon, yet historians argue that transnational trade in the late 19 th century led to a golden age of global economic development. Our project will seek to define the extent of commodity trading during the growth of the Empire, and its impact on the economy and environment.” The work is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council and the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. ENDS Note to Editors For more information please contact: For more information please contact: Professor Aaron Quigley, School of Computer Science at the University of St Andrews, 078 72421 777. Issued by the Press Office, University of St Andrews Contact Gayle Cook on 01334 467227 Ref: (globalisation 06/02/12) View the University’s latest news at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/news/

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Special software to trawl thousands of historic archives to uncover Empire trade boom

The University of St Andrews together with the Fife Economy Partnership (FEP) organised the 'Opening Doors to Innovation' event on the 24th of January, 2012. The highly successful event was held as part of the University's …

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Research@StAndrews blog: Opening doors to innovation

The home of golf could lose its appeal if plans for a windfarm on the outskirts of St Andrews are given the go-ahead. That is the view of one of Scotland's top hotels, which fears the proposal by St Andrews University could …

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Old Course Hotel warns Kenly Farm windfarm could damage St …

A century after Captain Scott and his team perished on their polar expedition, the great explorer’s spirit of adventure is inspiring a team of students from the University of St Andrews to set off on an adventure of their own – aiming to cross the 20-mile Lairig Ghru pass in the Cairngorms. Departing today (Thursday 2 February 2012) twelve members of the University’s Expedition Society (ExpAnd), led by Edward Morgan (3rd year, Geography), will undertake the two day trek to mark the centenary of Captain Scott’s Antarctic voyage. The mission also aims to raise money to create an expedition scholarship to allow a young person from Fife to take part in a prestigious British Schools Exploring Society Expedition. This is not the first time the spirit of Scott has been found in St Andrews.

“My father used to say that his days at St Andrews had been among the happiest of his life” The University of St Andrews becomes a special place to those who have studied here. Good friendships and lasting relationships are …

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Seven generations of St Andrews students | Museum Collections Blog

Greg Moore, currently Lecturer in Modern Languages at the University of St . Andrews , has accepted appointment in both History and Philosophy at Georgia State University, starting this fall. An expert on German philosophy of …

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Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog: Moore from St. Andrews to …