Methods to Visualize Historical Research Data: Courts of the Russian Empire after the Judicial Reform of 1864

Abstract

The article studies the issues of information visualization to demonstrate the results of historical research. It shows how MS Excel and Tableau Public Desktop Edition software can be used to visualize data and generate ideas on the basis of big data sets as well as facilitate the process of scientific research. This software can be used to show data in the form of tables, graphs, and charts helping to present information on the Russian Empire’s court activity. This is the so-called presentation method of visualization which is introductory in its nature and focuses on the audience for which the report is performed. The research is based on statistics of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Empire and archival data for the period from the second half of the 19th century to the first quarter of the 20th century. It is concluded that today’s level of computing equipment allows researchers to have modern software tools at hand that provide for demonstrating results of their research at conferences, lectures, in dissertations, etc. The article can be used at scientific-methodical seminars of the departments, at professional development courses for teachers as well as to teach undergraduates and graduate students to present the research results.