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AN HISTORICAL DATA ARCHIVE FOR THE UK: A FEASIBILITY STUDY Fortunately, the British Academy have generously granted a Major Research Award to fund this initial investigation. Consequently, an historical data archive project has been set up at the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure, headed by Dr. Kevin Schurer and co-ordinated by Ms. Sheila Anderson. The primary purpose of the project is to investigate the existing stock of historical data files in the United Kingdom, with some indication of their nature, structure, content and potential for secondary analyses by historians and other social scientists. This work will require consultation with historians and other social scientists, librarians, family history groups and other creators of machine-readable historical data files. To this end, it is intended to distribute a questionnaire to all history departments and others who may have created, be in the process of creating, or who store or house historical data files in machine-readable form, in order to gather as much information as possible on the existing stock of computerised data. A copy of the questionnaire can be obtained from the address below. The body of information collected will be used to construct a database of existing historical files held in machine-readable form, detailing their use to date, content, coverage and accessibility, together with a section on work currently in progress. From this a bibliographic guide to historical data files will be produced at the end of the project, together with an on-line search facility for those with access to the Joint Academic Network (JANET). Undoubtedly, the database will be of great benefit to the research community, providing, of course, that it has the depth and variety of information necessary to be of meaningful value. In this respect the project can only be successful in achieving its aims if it receives the full co-operation from those who are creating, or who have created, machine-readable historical data sets. Therefore, if you wish the project to succeed please co-operate in completing and returning to us the questionnaire. We would also be most interested in hearing from those people who, although they may not have created or be creating their own machine-readable historical data files, would nevertheless be interested in using the facilities of an historical data archive. Some indication of the type of service which would prove most useful would also be appreciated. Further details on the project and copies of the questionnaire are available from: Sheila Anderson Historical Archive Project Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure 28 Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1QA Tel: Cambridge (0223) 333194, E-Mail (JANET): SJAI3@UK.AC.CAM.PHX