Frequently Asked Questions

What is the criteria that is used to develop this collection?

The most important criteria we have considered while developing this collection is the scholarship and the quality of the content. Naturally, we have relied on copyrighted sources that were available to us or were easily obtainable. We have not included any material that was not peer-reviewed unless it was provided by truly distinguished scholars themselves. We have included scholarly articles as well as useful popular articles such as those published in National Geographic and The Illustrated Weekly of India.

What kinds of media is contained in Kamat Research Database? 

Kamat Research Database (renamed as "India Backfile") contains citations, abstracts, full text of articles, illustrations, line drawings, photographs, book reviews, and other media. It includes historical pictures, professional photographs (stock), candid photographs, stamps, famous art works, biographies, and timelines.

Here is a summary of contents (as of August 20, 2024) | See Some Highlights

What does Kamat Database contain that I cannot find anywhere else? 

The following are some of the contents available anywhere else. Kamat Photo Archive is not available elsewhere. The Kamat Glossary similarly was compiled by us over many years and is not available anywhere.  

Other contents of Kamat Research Database can be found at original publications from which they were obtained from,  but may not be available in electronic form.

Why are you only focusing on old contents? Why not new discoveries? 

We are including only those contents that have been published before to ensure quality of the research database. Brand new contents typically have not gone though the criticism and rigorous review that is necessary for us to include. However, we have included new or invited contents when the contents originated from an authentic and reliable source.

Are the pictures in Kamat Picture Database available for licensing?

Kamat Picture Database is a historical archive and its contents are not available for commercial licensing with model release. That means you cannot use our pictures for commercial advertising, product endorsement and other similar purposes.

However, the pictures are available for editorial use (as in text books, journals, websites, television, other).  Pictures hence licensed must not be modified, and must be fully credited. Further, we require that a copy of the finished product (upon its publication) be made available to us. Please use our Self-service Licensing system to request permission for reprint.

See Also: Copyright Notice & Disclaimers

Kamat Research Database is a primary source or a secondary source ?

The database contains both primary sources as well as secondary sources of reference. Book reviews, abstracts, timelines, and glossaries are secondary sources of reference.  Manuscripts, anthropological sketches, a large portion of the photographs are some of the primary sources.

I want the article whose abstract you have listed. How can I get it?

If your library has the article (either a subscription or microfilm), instructions or how to avail the article are shown on the page (requires a paid subscription to India Backfile). Depending on your library's resources, you might be able to request the article via Inter-Library Loan or Document Delivery methods.