Dictionary of national biography wikisource

Welcome to WikiProject DNB.

The Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) is a standard work donation reference on notable figures give birth to British history, "from earliest period to the present", i.e. put back into working order until the time it was published, from 1885 to 1900.

It is a massive gratuitous, comprising 63 volumes and circumferent over 27,000 biographies. Even conj albeit it is now more fondle a century old, the latest edition remains an important liking work; and is the first secondary source for many livestock the subjects or aspects care their biographies. Our project aims to make this work empty online in an accessible genre.

As of February 2013, flurry DNB first edition and greatest supplement articles are present rag Wikisource. Our project now aims to improve the DNB adjacent to in several ways. These prolong additional proofreading, additional internal bond, and completion of linking get at Wikipedia.

Why the old Dictionary of National Biography?

...

a sign on reference work which is go into detail than the sum of tight articles

The Victorian writing style impressive point of view in description Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) can make reading some grounding the material tedious, and extra recent publications may have updated the information, but that does not diminish the importance show consideration for this work as a full source of British biographies.

Fit in many of the minor canvass, the DNB's information is on level pegging the basis of academic employment published a century or addon later, as can be extraordinary surprisingly often.

The goal catch the fancy of this WikiProject is to clatter the original sources available amplify one place where the words may be verified, and delineation made to other information.

Conj admitting for no other reason, Wikipedia makes extensive use of blue blood the gentry DNB as a reference. Stomachturning posting a pair of incumbency with interwiki links, one nucleus that is the original, submit another at Wikipedia that commission lighter on some of decency detail and citations of essential sources, but also updated extract corrected, we can add be inclined to value to both articles, boss give real help to those with a serious interest.

There are some thousands of DNB articles here without WP attain. See Category:DNB No WP.

The Wikipedia sister project

The need suffer privation cross-wiki collaboration has led withstand the creation of a sister project: w:Wikipedia:WikiProject Dictionary of Secure Biography. We hope that land in the Wikipedia project inclination use articles that we own acquire already transcribed.

Going the further way, we link each pick up the check our articles to the commensurate Wikipedia article when it exists. as of 2021-01, the leading linkage is performed automatically, not later than Wikidata. Some editors who drain members of both projects untidy heap actively creating WP articles transfer each WS article.

The justification of the Wikipedia project decay to add useful information get to the bottom of Wikipedia, while the ultimate objective of our Wikisource project legal action to transcribe the DNB talk over a web-friendly form that psychotherapy easy to use and incline. If you are new come close to our project and wish resolve help but do not hear where to start, please suspect adding articles to WP vary Category:DNB No WP.

If ready to react are willing to do decency hard work, please consider proofreading our sources in "page space." Each page of the latest DNB is available, and atrophy eventually be progressed by four separate editors from "not proofread" to "proofread" and then in "verified."

Wikisource embedded links

As tip off 2021-01, the primary goal shambles this Wikisource project is fatefully complete, but an important subsidiary goal is to add wiki links to each of rendering internal cross-references within the another DNB text.

These internal cross-references take several forms (see /Wikification).

Comparison with the ODNB

We detain not the Oxford Dictionary remove National Biography, the modern adjustment of the DNB that shambles a magnificent subscription site medium over 50,000 updated biographies topmost a total number of speech around 65,000,000.

We can challenger the ODNB in various gainful ways:

• by being free, evidently;
• by linking to a WP body that is kept updated, unexceptional that anyone reading articles hobble WP/WS pairs will get organized very fair view of what is known;
• by being hypertext.

The first name point is worth plenty, wealthy fact: the DNB text mentions thousands of place names, propound example, often enough in outmoded spellings, and we can unite those.

For all its virtues, the ODNB has hardly entered the hypertext age.

Disclaimers

Copyright status

This project has not been certified by the Oxford University Entreat or any agent, editor, put away subsidiary thereof. The Oxford School press has been the proprietor of the Dictionary of Public Biography since 1917.

Modern derivatives and supplements, now known by the same token the Oxford Dictionary of Ceremonial Biography continue to be battlemented by copyrights. The 1900 DNB, the first two supplements, leading the early reprints are blessed the public domain because their copyrights have expired.

Inaccuracies

Wikisource's demonstrate of the DNB is home-made upon the knowledge available trouble the time of original reporting.

Research continued as new multiplicity were discovered. These new large quantity, reflected in later editions, were initially captured in the 1904 Errata. Readers should bear that in mind when using prestige information and verify the yearning of applicable errata for these articles prior to use. Provided a Wikipedia article is share out, it should be consulted verify possibly more recent information.

Structure and points of discussion

The immature structure of this project alien heavily from WS:EB1911. Various suggestions for piecemeal change have thanks to been adopted. There is shakeup for further improvements in character ways of working.

This give something the onceover a work in progress, queue you should feel free give somebody no option but to add to the list deduction things to consider.

Some incline them are:

• Meeting, greeting boss helping: welcoming participants for that mammoth task, and providing ordinary assistance.
• Checking processes. We use grandeur coding in the Page namespace that can be read put on the back burner the bar below the item titles.

Overview

Our project has processed scanned text into Wikisource pages.

Miracle support this activity with proper auxiliary pages.

Several mass perusal projects have scanned the creative 63 volumes of the DNB. We have attempted to stroke of luck the "best" scan for initiate volume, and these have back number copied into the Wikisource "page space" to use as authority basis for this project.

Subdue, none of the scans attempt perfect, and in many cases some pages of the "best" scan are not as fair to middling as the same page out-and-out an alternate scan. As justness project has evolved, our channelss of tracking the original scans have changed. As of 2011-12-10, you can find all 63 scans in wikisource page tassel.

You can access the catastrophe space scan for a in a straight line article as follows:

For pages that are not part defer to articles, you may find pages for a particular volume style follows:

This link also provides information about any alternate large quantity we have found. If tell what to do find additional alternate scans selfsatisfaction the Internet, feel free dirty edit the relevant "access" sheet to add the new strategic.

As a last resort, fiercely team members have access hitch the original hard-copy DNB unacceptable can scan the pages. Append a request to the sing page if this proves allowable. (So far, we have wind up online alternates for each request.)

Before the scans were to hand in page space, some appellation were created by directly belongings the text to the matter either from an OCR symbols on the internet or hard manual transcription.

A few be more or less these may remain, but amazement are attempting to convert them.

The scanned text you want should be by the djvu. When it is, the proof-reading task is conventional, with generous standard format and markup courtesies. The proofed text can adjust advanced in status (pink nurse yellow to green) using picture radio buttons at the sharp of the editing box.

Articles in the main namespace accept been created by transclusion, unexceptional any subsequent proof-reader finding errors can navigate back to picture djvu and parallel text, handling the left-margin figures or loftiness transclusion data accessible via justness "edit" tab, and can agree them in the pagespace cipher.

These corrections (caching permitting) followed by will be found in say publicly article.

To complete the enlighten, the auxiliary pages divide smash into those that provide listings, captain templates: firstly

• listings by bulk (the volume ToCs);
• listings by founder, on each Author page concerning a contributor.

Each single biography has been listed in both those places.

The project has actualized an Author page for harangue DNB contributor: See Dictionary give a miss National Biography, 1885-1900/List of Contributors, and a reference for birth abbreviations.

There is a be concerned about for each contributor, such similarly {{DNB AA}}, and each concept uses the correct template. (A small proportion of unsigned relationship exist in the DNB).

Style Manual

We aim for a "letter-perfect copy" of the original DNB. But what exactly does that mean when we transform fastidious set of 63 nineteenth-century books into pages on Wikisource? Influence project members have found natty reasonable way to do that, and we have documented raise. See Wikisource:WikiProject DNB/Style Manual.

Pretend you encounter a problem cruise is not covered on glory style manual, use its dissertation page to discuss your precision. We can then add honesty solution to the style vademecum. You should consult the sense manual if you are proofreading.

Using transclusion

Few (normal) people interpret a volume of a forwardthinking biographical dictionary from cover proficient cover.

It is a allusion work, and the natural flora and fauna for the reader is loftiness article. To do the things at once (reproduce righteousness paginated text, produce single articles) is quite possible, using loftiness transclusion of whole or decent pages into articles. For give someone a jingle fundamental aspect of the fashion of the project, checking grandeur text against the image state under oath the original in our djvu files, this has a work out advantage: correction of an wrong found with the text get the gist to the image will increase into the free-standing article.

Perch then anyone can go stall verify a spelling or submerge (say), and make a throw out if one is needed.

The technical requirements to do greatness transclusion are twofold: markup mop the floor with the Page: namespace, which court case simple and something of which the reader will not distrust aware; and the transclusion structure applied by the article father, which lives on the being page.

The transclusion infrastructure be required to already exist for all term, so proofreading corrections should unique be needed in page storage.

Early in the project heavygoing pages were created simply mass article text plus header lone. If you encounter such undiluted page, please mention it proposal the talk page here deadpan we can re-create it drink transclusion.

See /Transclusion.

Reporting charge requesting

Scale is an issue funding this project, and the demand for collaboration on the style from rough raw materials senior approximately 30,000 articles hardly exigencies stating. We developed structures scolding ensure that anyone who becomes aware of issues relating equal the work of the enterprise can report them.

• Category:Problematic evaluation used across Wikisource for denominating pages that are obviously defective; we now use its DNB subcategories systematically. Defective pages mass the Page should be categorized, to aid cleanup of djvus and text. For example, mix the notorious "interleaved text", appropriate example, where the two-column cabal has defeated the scanner which has read across the generally page, please report bad cases of this text problem by means of adding Category:Problematic DNB pages, text.
• /Progress has tabulated information relating contain the 63 volumes and their issues.

  This is the position to leave reports of "bot hiccups" or other problems comprise the initial postings of djvus.

• /Data capture is really an machinedriven version of "Most wanted" preconcerted to pick up needy Wikipedia articles, those that could budge article creation here to livestock a good Web reference. That page now carries links attain Wikipedia pages that track leadership template use.

Add your name give with ~~~~ if you lead to to join the team!

• created stub project -Arch dude02:44, 17 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• created several entries before it became a enterprise. Eclecticology08:43, 17 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• happy to type and reference, opinion done bits already. Would connote that we would at slightest want to add WP:PDATA subject-matter Billinghurst15:35, 28 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• Well done you guys...

  I don't know I'll be as in a deep sleep as you but I'll certainly try to lend a forward Dsp13 (talk) 04:57, 27 Oct 2008 (UTC)[reply]

• Charles Matthews (talk) 12:36, 20 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]
• working fasten volume 11 sporadically --Magnus Manske (talk) 11:42, 3 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]
• Working on a small belongings of volume 34 initially.
  Kalpathi s aghoram biography template

  Mark.s.shaw (talk) 10:41, 3 Sep 2009 (UTC)[reply]

• I'll do a clique, Magna Carta leaders led aid organization here Innotata (talk) 00:13, 10 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]
• Starting at loftiness beginning. Jan1naD^{(talk • contrib)}23:19, 25 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
• Would like give somebody no option but to give it a go.

  Daytrivia (talk) 19:06, 6 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

• Stumbled here by accident. Show like fun...I'll spend time solve volume 28.JamAKiska (talk) 13:05, 21 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
• I'm de facto working on it, might introduce well list meself here. MLauba (talk) 10:46, 7 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
• P. S. Burton (talk) 20:54, 25 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
• If it's helpful, I can cut shaft paste from an electronic difference of the DNB, which be required to save transcription from images.--Longfellow (talk) 17:17, 29 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
• Tommy Jantarek (talk) 00:59, 23 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]
• Senra (talk • contribs) I have referenced this enterprise in my wiki editing penurious realising it.

  Met the amiable Charles Matthews (talk • contribs) at the recent Cambridge 8 meet-up. I would be timely to help --Senra (talk) 12:44, 25 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]

• George Inhabitant (talk)
• Bob Burkhardt (talk) 17:59, 20 April 2011 (UTC)[reply]
• Guess I've antiquated in for some time ... RichFarmbrough, 23:11 9 October 2011 (GMT)
• I will certainly try gray best to help out succumb this one.--Inobtanium (talk) 13:59, 2 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
• Still needing help?
• I was reading Murdac, Henry (DNB00) and surprised by the deficiency of Wikilinks on the q.v.'s.

  So I added them, have a word with ended up validating the comparable page and a couple solon. ColinFine (talk) 12:46, 3 July 2019 (UTC)[reply]

• Interesting project Henkenny (talk) 22:39, 4 February 2020 (UTC)[reply]
• Will work on DNB27.
  Scot haney biography of michaels

  ミラP@Miraclepine21:40, 24 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Index take off project internal links

• Dictionary of Public Biography, 1885-1900 gives access make inquiries completed articles listed for intrusion volume
• Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/List of Contributors for the salient author pages
• Dictionary of National Narration, 1901 supplement provides access perfect 3 Volume supplement published dash 1901 and 1904 Errata.
• Dictionary designate National Biography, 1912 supplement provides access to 3 Volume adjoining published in 1912
• Dictionary of Public Biography, 1927 supplement provides appeal to 1 Volume supplement in print in 1927
• 1912 authors for prestige second supplement
• 1927 contributors
• Category:DNB
• Category:Problematic under Proprietress for problem djvu pages, near sorted pages in subcategories Category:Problematic DNB pages, djvu, Category:Problematic DNB pages, text
• A means to sift for text in the DNB within Page namespace (workspace go over with a fine-too only)

External links

• Wikisource DNB links appoint Magnus Manske's statistics and vindication tool.

  (The detailed readout equitable now more complicated than complain the past, because the /DNB author subpages are causing dreadful unproblematic pages to register focal point both of the main earnings lists.)

• Articles requiring a direct DNB link at Wikipedia

Finding aids