{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T23:20:26Z","timestamp":1777936826562,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,28]],"date-time":"2016-04-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1461801600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["New Media &amp; Society"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>The Internet and the World Wide Web in particular have dramatically changed the way in which many companies operate. On the Web, even the smallest and most localised business has a potential global reach, and the development of online payment has redefined the selling market in most sectors. Boundaries and borders are being radically rediscussed. This article reconstructs the early approach of UK businesses to the World Wide Web between 1996 and 2001, a period in which the Web started to spread but it was not as engrained in everyday life as it would be in the following decade. While the fast and dispersed nature of the Web makes it almost impossible to accurately reconstruct the Web sphere in its historical dimension, this article proposes a methodology based on the usage of historical Web directories to access and map past Web spheres.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444816643791","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,28]],"date-time":"2016-04-28T22:25:02Z","timestamp":1461882302000},"page":"1120-1142","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["This is the future: A reconstruction of the UK business web space (1996\u20132001)"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Marta","family":"Musso","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Cambridge, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Merletti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Data Analyst, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Armstrong S (2001) Advertising on the Internet: How to Get Your Message across on the World Wide Web. London: Kogan Page, pp. 15\u201330."},{"key":"bibr2-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Barber L, Clark B, Cookson C, (1996) Next chapter in the foresight saga: what is likely to happen during 1997? FT writers anticipate the events that will shape the world during the year. Financial Times, 28 December. Available at: http:\/\/search.proquest.com\/docview\/248306067?accountid=9851"},{"key":"bibr3-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Baxter (1996) Strategies for the net. Financial Times, 11 December. Available at: http:\/\/search.proquest.com\/docview\/248317715?accountid=9851"},{"key":"bibr4-1461444816643791","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7551\/mitpress\/9384.001.0001"},{"key":"bibr5-1461444816643791","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0268-4012(95)00071-2"},{"key":"bibr6-1461444816643791","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0266382994237072"},{"key":"bibr7-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Copps A (1998) UK web users leap by a million. The Times, 18 November. Available at: https:\/\/libsta28.lib.cam.ac.uk:2052\/hp\/default.aspx?pp=Print&hc=Publication"},{"key":"bibr8-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Denton N (1996) Internet shopping fails to fire. Financial Times, 13 December. Available at: http:\/\/search.proquest.com\/docview\/248333844?accountid=9851"},{"key":"bibr9-1461444816643791","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1201\/1078\/43199.19.1.20020101\/31475.6"},{"key":"bibr10-1461444816643791","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0268-4012(99)00042-0"},{"key":"bibr11-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Internet attitudes, demographic survey results published (1995) Internet Business News, 1 December. Available at: http:\/\/search.proquest.com\/docview\/190907902?accountid=9851"},{"issue":"1","key":"bibr12-1461444816643791","first-page":"13","volume":"2","author":"Minio R","year":"1994","journal-title":"Management and Technology"},{"key":"bibr13-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Musso M (Unpublished) A history of UK companies on the web. In: Web Archives as Big Data, 03-12-2014, Institute of Historical Research. Available at: http:\/\/sas-space.sas.ac.uk\/6251\/#undefined"},{"key":"bibr14-1461444816643791","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0268-4012(98)00021-8"},{"key":"bibr15-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Price C (1999) Surge in shopping on the internet. Financial Times, 2 October. Available at: http:\/\/search.proquest.com\/docview\/248886545?accountid=9851"},{"key":"bibr16-1461444816643791","author":"Stuart","year":"2014","journal-title":"Questionnaire on British Companies and the Internet"},{"key":"bibr17-1461444816643791","unstructured":"The Boston Consulting Group (2010) The connected kingdom \u2013 how the internet is transforming the UK economy. Available at: https:\/\/www.bcg.com\/documents\/file62983.pdf (accessed 24 April 2014)."},{"key":"bibr18-1461444816643791","unstructured":"UK Web users top 10 million for first time (2000) Marketing Week, 27 July. Available at: http:\/\/search.proquest.com\/docview\/228093386?accountid=9851"},{"key":"bibr19-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Big UK Domain Data for the Arts and Humanities (n.d.) Available at: http:\/\/buddah.projects.history.ac.uk\/"},{"key":"bibr20-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Bulk Whois Api (n.d.) Available at: https:\/\/bulk-whois-api.com"},{"key":"bibr21-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Companies House (n.d.) Free company data product. Available at: http:\/\/download.companieshouse.gov.uk\/en_output.html"},{"key":"bibr22-1461444816643791","unstructured":"DMOZ (2016) Available at: https:\/\/www.dmoz.org\/"},{"key":"bibr23-1461444816643791","author":"Hollinger P","year":"1996","journal-title":"Financial Times"},{"key":"bibr24-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Internet Archive (n.d.). Wayback Machine. Available at: http:\/\/archive.org\/web\/"},{"key":"bibr25-1461444816643791","unstructured":"London Stock Exchange (2015) Reference and historical data. Available at: http:\/\/www.londonstockexchange.com\/products-and-services\/reference-data\/reference-data.htm"},{"key":"bibr26-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Merletti F (2015) UK-companies-scraper. GitHub. Available at: https:\/\/github.com\/mjs2020\/uk-companies-scraper"},{"key":"bibr27-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Netcraft (2015) March 2015 web server survey. Available at: http:\/\/news.netcraft.com\/archives\/category\/web-server-survey\/"},{"key":"bibr28-1461444816643791","unstructured":"The UK Directory (2015) Available at: https:\/\/www.ukdirectory.co.uk\/add.asp"},{"key":"bibr29-1461444816643791","unstructured":"This is Money (2015) Price and inflator calculator. Available at: http:\/\/www.thisismoney.co.uk\/money\/bills\/article-1633409\/Historic-inflation-calculator-value-money-changed-1900.html"},{"key":"bibr30-1461444816643791","unstructured":"UK Web Archive (n.d.) AADDA \u2013 Analytical Access to the Dark Domain Archive (1996\u20132010). Available at: http:\/\/www.webarchive.org.uk\/aadda-discovery\/search"},{"key":"bibr31-1461444816643791","unstructured":"UK Web Archive (n.d.) Shine application. Available at: http:\/\/www.webarchive.org.uk\/shine"},{"key":"bibr32-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Web Scraper (n.d.) Available at: http:\/\/webscraper.io"},{"key":"bibr33-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Yell Business (2015) Available at: https:\/\/business.yell.com\/products\/"},{"key":"bibr34-1461444816643791","unstructured":"ABPI\n                      \u2013 The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry\n                      (1996) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19961023052832\/http:\/\/www.abpi.org.uk\/abpimem.htm"},{"key":"bibr35-1461444816643791","unstructured":"(Internet Archive site captured 23 October 1996)."},{"key":"bibr36-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Abracadabra Internet Publishing (1996) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19961222185552\/http:\/\/www.netlink.co.uk\/users\/abracad\/prices.html (Internet Archive, site captured 22 December 1996)."},{"key":"bibr37-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Beginners Guide to: Good Manners (1996) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19961215145816\/http:\/\/www.ukindex.co.uk\/begin8.html (Internet Archive, site captured 15 December 1996)."},{"key":"bibr38-1461444816643791","unstructured":"DMOZ (2000) Available at: https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20001003162214\/http:\/\/dirt.dmoz.org\/Regional\/Europe\/United_Kingdom\/Business_and_Economy\/ (Internet Archive, site captured 3 October 2000)."},{"key":"bibr39-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Global Internet (1996) Available at: https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19961105105311\/http:\/\/bilbo.globalnet.co.uk\/web.htm (Internet Archive, site captured 5 November 1996)."},{"key":"bibr40-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Janet Granger Designs (2000) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20000517144539\/http:\/\/www.janetgranger.co.uk\/ (Internet Archive, site captured 17 May 2000)."},{"key":"bibr41-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Japan Centre Plaza (2001) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20010301224257\/http:\/\/www.centreproperties.co.uk\/ (Internet Archive, site captured 5 March 2001)."},{"key":"bibr42-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Kelly\u2019s UK Business Finder (1997) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19970415015024\/http:\/\/www.kellys.reedinfo.co.uk\/Scripts\/dbml.exe?template=\/Kellys\/KS1.dbm (Internet Archive, site captured 15 April 1997)."},{"key":"bibr43-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Moving Makeup (2001) Available at: https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20010128101100\/http:\/\/members.dencity.com\/movingmakeup\/index.htm (Internet Archive, site captured 23 January 2001)."},{"key":"bibr44-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Pubs.com (1999) Available at: https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19990508155705\/http:\/\/pubs.com\/azlist.htm (Internet Archive, site captured 8 May 1999)."},{"key":"bibr45-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Sainsbury\u2019s Orderline (1998) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19980514215905\/http:\/\/sainsburys.co.uk\/orderline\/index.html (Internet Archive, site captured 14 May 1998)."},{"key":"bibr46-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Sainsbury\u2019s Orderline (2000) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20000303221747\/http:\/\/orderline.sainsburys.co.uk\/ (Internet Archive, site captured 3 March 2000)."},{"key":"bibr47-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Selling on the Internet (1996) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19961219025822\/http:\/\/www.u-net.com\/ukcom\/sell\/selling.htm (Internet Archive, site captured 19 December 1996)."},{"key":"bibr48-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Selling on the Internet (1998) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19980523214839\/http:\/\/www.u-net.com\/ukcom\/sell\/selling.htm (Internet Archive, site captured 23 May 1998)."},{"key":"bibr49-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Tesco Home (2000) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20001018041843\/http:\/\/www.tesco.com\/ (Internet Archive, site captured 18 October 2000)."},{"key":"bibr50-1461444816643791","unstructured":"The Tesco Homeshopper (1998) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19980115092120\/http:\/\/www.tesco.co.uk\/homeshop\/ (Internet Archive, site captured 15 January 1998)."},{"key":"bibr51-1461444816643791","unstructured":"UK Directory (1996) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19961219105803\/http:\/\/www.ukdirectory.com\/ Internet Archive, site captured 19 December 1996)."},{"key":"bibr52-1461444816643791","unstructured":"UK Yellow Web (1997) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19970616081900\/http:\/\/www.yell.co.uk\/yell\/web\/companyaz.html (Internet Archive, site captured 16 June 1997)."},{"key":"bibr53-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Venables D (1998) English Firms of Solicitors on the Web. Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19981202064024\/http:\/\/www.venables.co.uk\/legal\/firms.htm (Internet Archive, site captured 2 December 1998)."},{"key":"bibr54-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Waternet (1999) UK Companies on the web. Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19990219194117\/http:\/\/www.water.net.uk:80\/ukcompanies\/ (Internet Archive, site captured 19 February 1999)."},{"key":"bibr55-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Welcome to the UK\u2019s fastest growing directory of SECURE online stores (\n1999a) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19990202161526\/http:\/\/www.internetics.co.uk\/shop\/ (Internet Archive, site captured 2 February 1999)."},{"key":"bibr56-1461444816643791","unstructured":"Welcome to the UK\u2019s fastest growing directory of SECURE online stores (\n1999b) Available at: http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/19990508182154\/http:\/\/www.internetics.co.uk\/shop\/ (Internet Archive, site captured 8 May 1999)."}],"container-title":["New Media &amp; Society"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1461444816643791","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/1461444816643791","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1461444816643791","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,2]],"date-time":"2026-05-02T03:44:37Z","timestamp":1777693477000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/1461444816643791"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,28]]},"references-count":56,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,8]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/1461444816643791"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1461444816643791","relation":{},"ISSN":["1461-4448","1461-7315"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1461-4448","type":"print"},{"value":"1461-7315","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,28]]}}}