The very idea of creating a database can be as terrifying as the month of October, awash in pink and orange. Development of historical databases can provide an important analytical tool and serve to highlight relationships that are not readily apparent — and conversely disprove them. To make the best use of a database, the user needs to have an understanding of the issues peculiar to developing ones for historical use.

Inconsistency and changes in the spelling of names can change how data is retrieved. Take my name for example, Kristin. Variations on spelling include Kristen, Krysten and so forth. My spelling is not the most frequently used, but the Kristen variant is. Building a database record, or searching for one for the name requires both recognition that there are alternate spellings and that a name can be easily misspelled.

Changes in the landscape and boundaries over time have to be accounted for in an historical database as well. Landscape changes due to erosion and accretion, mining, and development are some ways the land can physically change, causing data records that include features of the terrain to become more difficult to enter and locate correctly.

The fluidity of town, county, state and country boundaries and names can add a level of difficulty in database construction and use and requires a familiarity with the changes over time. If you are interested in early 18th century Maine, look at Massachusetts for data as it was part of that colony.