The Importance of Web Archives for Humanities

Abstract

The web is the primary means of communication in developed societies. It contains descriptions of recent events generated through distinct perspectives. Thus, the web is a valuable resource for contemporary historical research. However, its information is extremely ephemeral. Several research studies have shown that only a small amount of information remains available on the web for longer than one year. Web archiving aims to acquire, preserve and provide access to historical information published online. In April 2013, there were at least sixty four web archiving initiatives worldwide. Altogether, these archived collections of web documents form a comprehensive picture of our cultural, commercial, scientific and social history. Web archiving has also an important sociological impact because ordinary citizens are publishing personal information online without preservation concerns. In the future, web archives will probably be the only source of personal memories to many people. We provide some examples of tools that facilitate historical research over web archives highlighting their potential for Humanities.