How AI Helps Historians
Archives and historical societies have more documents than staff to transcribe and index. 12² builds transcription, indexing and drafting templates around the archive's files.
Archive & Research Notes Desk · From $1,500 + $199/mo, by team size · proposed estimate · It says it is an automated assistant whenever it talks to someone directly, and your team reviews what it drafts before it goes out.
Ai for historians: the short answer.
12² builds AI for historians that takes on the routine work: transcribing and indexing scanned documents for review, drafting finding-aid entries, and drafting exhibit and report text for historian editing. It runs inside the tools you already use. Historians verify every transcription.
Sources
- General office-writing evidence, not a study of this job: in an RCT, ChatGPT cut professional writing time 40% and raised quality (Noy & Zhang, Science 2023)news.mit.edu
Research figures above describe the cited studies, not results 12² promises. Results vary. Disclosures
Where the hours go now.
Transcribing and indexing scanned documents
Archives and historical societies have more documents than staff to transcribe and index.
Drafting finding-aid entries
Rebuilt from scratch each time, usually at the end of the day.
Exhibit and report text
Written up by hand, one at a time, after the real work is done.
What it handles, and what it never does.
What it handles
- Transcribing and indexing scanned documentsIt transcribes and indexes scanned documents for review.
- Drafting finding-aid entriesIt drafts finding-aid entries.
- Exhibit and report textIt drafts exhibit and report text for historian editing.
- Drafting grant applicationsIt drafts grant applications.
- Hand-off to your teamAnything that needs a person goes to the right person, with the details attached.
What it never does
- Make up a price or a factIt works only from the documents, records and price lists you give it. Anything it can't find goes to your team.
- Promise a resultQuestions about outcomes go to the person who does the work.
- Pretend to be a personIt says it is an automated assistant whenever it talks to someone directly.
- Send anything on its ownDrafts wait for your team's approval before anything goes out.
Built and tested on your own work.
Before handoff, we run your build on your own real examples and fix anything that misses.
- Tested on your own workBefore handoff, we run your build on your own real examples and fix anything that misses.
- Retainer, then balance on deliveryRetainer up front. Work starts once the retainer is paid; the balance is due on delivery when the agreed test cases pass.
- Fixed price, scope and timelineAll three in writing before work starts. The timeline is set in your quote.
- What 12² buildsTranscription, indexing and drafting templates around the archive's files.
- How it connectsWe confirm how it connects to your files on the first call and write it into your quote.
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See also: all industry packages · pricing
From $1,500 + $199/moSetup + monthly, by size. The monthly fee covers monitoring, fixes and re-tests for your package as your templates, documents and staff change. AI and software usage is billed at cost. Proposed starting estimates by team size, not fixed prices; the final price is in a written quote.
- Small: Small nonprofit (1-4 staff)From $1,500 + $199/mo. The core build for 1-4 staff: transcription, indexing and drafting templates around the archive's files. Proposed estimate. Small tier; monthly covers hosting, monitoring and fixes.
- Mid-size: Mid-size nonprofit (5-19 staff)From $3,500 + $399/mo. Everything in Small nonprofit, for more users, inboxes and calendars, with hand-off rules set for each role. Proposed estimate. More users, locations or integrations.
- Enterprise: Large nonprofit / university office (20+ staff)From $9,500, custom quote. Everything in Mid-size nonprofit, across locations or departments, with system integrations and a security review scoped in your custom quote. Proposed estimate floor; scope, integrations and security review set the final number. No cap.
- Retainer up front Work starts once the retainer is paid; the balance is due on delivery when the agreed test cases pass. Scope, price and timeline are agreed in writing before work starts.
- You own itThe accounts, scripts, templates and data sit in your name. You can leave at any time.
- Compliance and dataHistorians verify every transcription and fact; rights to images come from the holding institution.
- Not professional advice12² builds software and automations. It is not a licensed professional in your field, and your team makes every professional decision. Disclosures
Straight answers.
Can AI misread old handwriting?
Yes, so every transcription is checked.
How does payment work?
Retainer up front. Work starts once the retainer is paid; the balance is due on delivery when the agreed test cases pass.
How long does it take?
Timelines are set per project in the quote, after we see your systems and volume.
Are these prices final?
No. They are proposed starting estimates. You get a written custom quote after a short scoping call.
Tell us how you handle exhibit and report text now.
A few lines is enough. If it's a fit we'll say so, and if it isn't we'll tell you why.
- You'll hear back within one business day12² reads your note and replies about your project.
- A free 20-minute callHow the work runs now, what gets missed, and what your team needs from it.
- A fixed quoteYour size, scope, date and price in writing before any work starts.
Prefer email? Write to [email protected]
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