Database versions and citing rules

Citing online databases and other internet resources in research publications is always risky because the cited online content can change. In order to facilitate citing and at the same time allow for updating the database, the project envisions a strict versioning policy. Each time the published dataset is updated, a new version of the dataset is created, labelled with an incrementing version number and the respective publication date. All dataset versions published earlier are accessible through the Version select box in the upper right corner of each webpage. Additionally, each version is published as a SQL dump (and eventually in other machine-readable formats) in the online repository under doi:10.5281/zenodo.1411391. Once published, the particular version of the dataset is never modified. Occasional modification to the web interface may slightly alter the layout of web pages, but the contents of earlier versions remain the same. As the source code of the web-interface is also published online, one can run the respective version of the web-interface with the respective dataset to get a more accurate snapshot of the webpage as seen on a certain date in the past.

To make sure that you access the most complete and up to date version of the dataset, please select the latest version in the Version select box in the upper right corner of each webpage.

Version 1, published in 2018, was limited to the sources of the Second Intermediate Period. Version 2 (August 2021) was the first to cover the entire timeframe of the Middle Kingdom and the Second Intermediate Period. Version 3 (January 2022) introduced changes to the database structure and the web-interface and includes the hieroglyphic renderings of age epithets and classifiers (the latter only for a part of the dataset). The current version 4 (August 2023) includes corrections and updates to the Middle Kingdom dataset (adding ca. 1500 attestations).

When citing data from this online database, please always specify the version consulted (it is shown in the top right corner).

To save a stable URL linking to the version of the data you see online, please copy the link address of the Stable URL link, which is found in the header of each page next to the Version select box.

Sample citation:
Persons and Names of the Middle Kingdom, Version 4 (name 2748, attestation 2; accessed August 2, 2023), https://pnm.uni-mainz.de/name/2748.