I.Sicily is not a text database, but a full digital corpus. As a result, it is not immediately comparable to some of the other excellent digital epigraphy resources available such as EDCS or PHI. However, it is also not immediately comparable to a standard paper printed corpus or catalogue. We aim to include all the information that you might expect in a full edition, including commentary and imagery, but digital publication enables us to include much more – not just more images, but also, for example, copies of, or links to, archival, archaeological and antiquarian records. Digital publication also enables us to link directly to other digital resources to open up additional material. The biggest difference, however, is that digital publication is both a continuous and a highly collaborative process.
We aim to publish the data which we already have as soon as possible, in the belief that it is already useful. Many of the files contain incomplete information, and in particular the text itself may either be missing or only a preliminary automated import: the status of the page for any inscription will be indicated at the top of the page, and if it is marked as ‘unchecked’ or ‘draft’ then the data should be used with caution. When an inscription is marked as ‘revised’ or ‘edited’, the data can be used with confidence, but you should not assume that the file will not be further edited in the future (e.g. with the addition of new information or further commentary). Furthermore, every edition is the end product of many contributions, whether in the field of information technology or epigraphy. Consequently, we ask that users recognise and reference both the named contributors and the date of revision, as well as the status of the file (all of which is detailed on the page). Additionally, please note that all draft or edited files are archived at each substantial revision under a DOI at Zenodo, providing a stable point of reference for the version you are currently viewing (since the I.Sicily http URI will always point to the most recent version and its content will therefore change over time). For more information, see the section on citation.
Lastly, we ask you to remember that I.Sicily is an open-ended, on-going, and highly collaborative project (the number of contributors and collaborators is well into double figures). You will undoubtedly find mistakes; you may well have additional information about an inscription; you may disagree with an interpretation; you may know of an inscription we have not included. If so, please tell us, become a contributor, and help us make I.Sicily better!
For full information on all of the above and the data in I.Sicily, please see the page on ‘data and data categories in I.Sicily‘.
We hope you find I.Sicily useful!
I.Sicily 