From Methods to Conclusions: The Limits of the Knowable in Digital Book History

This article asks the same question of four different types of sources: traditional literary histories, the English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC), contemporary newspaper advertisements, and contemporary records of reading. By examining how these sources represent what was in print in Britain in the year 1728 differently, this article argues that close attention to the methods of digital book history and the origins, assumptions, and limitations of different archives is needed. While digital databases are more comprehensive than previous sources were, they too have limitations—but when used in combination, they can provide new answers to old questions and allow for new avenues of research.