All VUW faculty and post graduate research students automatically have access. The position for faculty members at other institutions is more problematic. The database is 'untouched' and offers a totally new approach to research in this area. Time series, statistical analyses, correlations and detailed string searches are easily and swiftly done. Any Masters student could select a subset of all 17th century vessels bound for ports in West Africa, run it through a statistics package, and have a multi-factor analysis of the slaver fleet done and graphed in an afternoon.
Academic endeavour is as competitive as any other field.
We cannot afford to give away the golden goose by allowing other university students to skim off all the 'easy stuff' and get credit for 'research' which rightly belongs to Victoria University students. We will therefore seek reciprocal arrangements with other institutions before allowing external students to proceed. We are aware that there is a great deal of non-academic interest in things maritime and that the database has potential for a wide community. While the university is in the business of information dissemination its motivation is aimed at academic output. Strictly speaking, from the university's point of view, any benefits the database may have for non academics are purely fortuitous.