Introduction

Have you ever wished you could look one more time at the actual document from which you abstracted that note six months ago? What about those notes you took by hand when you had had only six hours of sleep over the previous two days that no longer make any sense? This article is intended to give the traditional historical researcher the tools and basic techniques necessary to move into the digital age with the minimum of expense and trepidation. Herein lies the possible answer to your research blues—move into the 21st century and add a new dimension to you research!

This article is divided into a number of sections dealing with different aspects of digital research—these are; equipment, techniques, and access (to research facilities). The ultimate result will be to provide you with information on how to create a compact research kit (briefcase size) and the knowledge to conduct electronic research with confidence.