I can’t believe you lefty Luddites hate tech so much that you embrace mRNA vaccines, heat pumps, electric bikes, hybrid work, renewable power (and awesome advancements in storage), space telescopes, and hot/cold running water but reject the planet destroying plagiarism enrich the worst people bots!

Opening page of new Transactions article; 'Show me the Data: New Practices for Historical Sources', by Ruth Ahnert, Katherine McDonough and Daniel C. S. Wilson. Full abstract: 'This comment examines the rapidly evolving ecosystem of historical research data in the United Kingdom, where cultural heritage collections are increasingly digitised, commercialised and fragmented. Historians face growing challenges in discovering, accessing and reusing data as resources move behind paywalls, and repositories remain scattered, without a national infrastructure to ensure long-term preservation or discoverability. Drawing on examples from major digital initiatives, we analyse the life cycle of historical research data and highlight the complex interplay of commercial, institutional and scholarly interests that shape access. We distinguish three types of data that emerge from historians’ typical engagements with digitised collections: derived, enhanced and aggregated data. We argue that historians must actively participate in the practices relating to the creation, maintenance and reuse of such data. This will involve new forms of citation, favouring open datasets, improving digital skills and building communities around shared resources. The comment concludes with proposals to improve discoverability, sustainability and reuse, urging the discipline to establish common standards and infrastructures to secure an equitable data commons for future research.'

New in Transactions: 'Show Me the Data: New Practices for Historical Sources', by @ruthahnert.bsky.social, Katherine McDonough & @danielwilson.bsky.social: bit.ly/460nrkM

As the ecosystem of historical research data expands, how do we keep control of source materials, esp digital? #Skystorians 1/2

Very rarely does a post warrant all caps, but: SEARCHABLE INTERIM MANUSCRIPTS CATALOGUE. At long last! searcharchives.bl.uk

There's a shout out to @nrhodgson-hist.bsky.social's research for TMW in today's @thetimes.com. You can read the full article Natasha wrote right now for free via @uk.theconversation.com: theconversation.com/women-are-st...

Introduction to Palaeography and Manuscript Studies This course introduces students to key skills for the study of medieval manuscripts, from the making of parchment to reading text and imagery

We’ll be running our introduction to manuscript studies again in June 2026. There’s an early bird discount if you book this month, but if students are interested please encourage them to book early as this course has limited places 👇 📚📖✏️💻
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...

Women are still absent from how history is taught and assessed in England Over a third of GCSE, AS and A-level exam papers in 2023 made no mention of women at all.

Recent research carried out by the Teaching Medieval Women group supported by NTU, shows that women are critically underrepresented in History assessments in English secondary schools at GCSE and A-Level: theconversation.com/women-are-st...

TMW's Natasha Hodgson @nrhodgson-hist.bsky.social on the absence of women in History GCSE and A Level exam papers in today's @uk.theconversation.com, what this means for students, and the need for curriculum and assessment reform @departmentforedu.bsky.social

Opening the black box of EEBO Abstract. Digital archives that cover extended historical periods can create a misleading impression of comprehensiveness while in truth providing access t

New, and very interesting, #OpenAccess article on Early English Books Online:

Opening the black box of EEBO

academic.oup.com/dsh/advance-...

#History 🗃️

Immensely proud to be part of the incredible team who authored this report! The 'Great History Heist' presents results from a national survey of the teaching of women in History at KS3, and suggests pathways for improving the systemic barriers affecting representation in the classroom.

King & Conqueror cast and creatives on telling the story of Harold, William and the Battle of Hastings - The drama follows Harold of Wessex (James Norton) and William of Normandy (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) two men destined to meet in 1066

I'm so angry about #KingAndConqueror because the exec producer says: 'there's an obscuring mist that allows you to take artistic license in a way that doesn't feel inauthentic or unethical, because there's only so much we can know. www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/... 1/

Anthony Grafton · No Cheese Please: The First Bibliophiles The library made possible a new kind of intellectual life. Machiavelli, when he’d been exiled from Florence, described...

Lovely essay in the @lrb.co.uk on Renaissance era libraries and their influence
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

What can Keir Starmer’s Labour learn from New Labour? Part Two In the concluding episode of this two-part series, Steven King  and Glen O’Hara discuss what lessons Keir Starmer might learn from the last time Labour was in government.

Harold Wilson did say a week's a long time in politics...

But as promised we're back with our latest podcast episode, returning with part 2 of Glen O'Hara (@gsoh31.bsky.social) speaking with Steven King on what Keir Starmer can learn from New Labour.

policyfactory.org/podcast/what...

Managed to rescue a little wren from my cat. Brought the wren inside to keep it safe/check to see if it was hurt.

Cue one very unhurt but annoyed wren flying off behind the TV.

The wren is now free, unhurt and flying around outside. I, on the other hand, have a lot of wires to put back...

What can Keir Starmer's Labour learn from New Labour? Steven King and Glen O'Hara discuss what lessons Keir Starmer might learn from the last time Labour was in government.

As the welfare vote tonight threatens to divide the Labour Party, Steve King and Glen O'Hara (@gsoh31.bsky.social) discuss what lessons Keir Starmer could learn from Tony Blair and New Labour in our latest Policy Factory Podcast episode. policyfactory.org/podcast/what...

Moral and Political pitfalls of scientific uncertainty in epidemiological crises Modern governments have tended to rely heavily on a ‘follow the science’ response to epidemiological threats. However, epidemics are moments of both scientific uncertainty and social crisis. This pose...

In our latest must-read article, Adam Wright looks at past government responses to dealing with epidemics, from Mad cow disease to Foot and Mouth to COVID, and outlines the dangers to democracy of following an exclusively techno-scientific approach.

policyfactory.org/article/from...

a cartoon of a girl standing in front of a door that says that sign can 't stop me because i can ALT: a cartoon of a girl standing in front of a door that says that sign can 't stop me because i can

me: *putting up a little 'do not disturb' sign and closing the door
my cats at said door:

#booksky #writingcommunity

Free badge and peg doll making at Crewe Makes on Victoria Street (ignore my first attempt) #crewepride

Crewe Pride today 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ #crewepride

Person dressed as a knight with a trans flag and a cape with a trans flag shield that says “Trans Knights are human Knights”

This absolute icon at Canterbury Pride 🩷🤍🩵

The intentional death by starvation, of babies. A slow and cruel death.

"I'd crusade if the new Pope asked me to" wow, cool. What if he asked you to love and protect immigrants

Tickets are now available on Eventbrite for the NTU History Postgraduate Conference 2025.

The theme for this year is 'Power and the People'!

Thursday 5 June, 10am-4.30pm at Boots Library, NTU City Campus.

Register for free at:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ntu-histor...

How can it be anything but political?: Keir Starmer and an 'island of strangers' On Monday 12 May, Keir Starmer announced his government's plans to reform the immigration system, tightening rules on who may reside in the UK. Although quickly denying any political incentive, the ti...

Following on from Keir Starmer's 'island of strangers' speech on Monday, Cat Gower (@catherinegower.bsky.social) takes some time away from tinkering with the Policy Factory website to reflect on Keir's use of language.

policyfactory.org/comment_post...

Harvard cut-price Magna Carta 'copy' now believed genuine Harvard Law School paid just $27 for the document, which UK academics now think is the real thing.

Wake up, lads, new old Magna Carta just dropped! www.bbc.com/news/article...

NTU History Postgraduate Conference is back for 2025!

The theme for this year is 'Power and the People' with the conference taking place on 5 June.

We're looking for 15 minute papers on any historical research relating to this theme.

Deadline to apply: 2 May #callforpapers #skystorians

Front page of the Teaching Medieval Women website.

Natasha is co-founder of the Teaching Medieval Women group bit.ly/4j9XALd who work with teachers to integrate new research into school history.

Her new post for the RHS blog discusses the importance of women's history for KS4 & A-level, as well as opportunities at KS3.

@histassoc.bsky.social 2/2

Opening page for Natasha Hodgson's new RHS blog post 'Finding Women's History in Schools - challenges for the curriculum review'.

Women's and gender history is thriving in HE, but very little of this new work appears in schools history.

Mid-way through the gov't's curriculum review, Natasha Hodgson considers the barriers to the take up of new work in schools, and how she seeks to overcome these bit.ly/4lf0Xm4 1/2 #Skystorians

‘Okay which one of you accidentally added Robert Cecil to the chat?’