The Result: A Working Database

I followed a comparable protocol for populating the DocumentAgents table, and the end-result is a database that has much room for expansion and improvement, but which functions well enough to create simple maps. A key element in making the database which I have emphasized in this essay is the importance of planning. Extensive advance planning was essential to create a consistent database with minimal errors. The complexity of a relational database means that it is often difficult to contain small errors—local inconsistences or errors inevitably leak into all corners of the database, and it can become difficult to isolate and fix issues as the database grows. With careful planning (and frequent backups!), however, I have succeeded in creating a complete database with room to organically expand as I continue my research beyond this initial dataset into further published sources and even into archival records.