Milligan, Ian2017-04-112017-04-112014http://www.revparl.ca/english/issue.asp?param=221&art=1621http://hdl.handle.net/10012/11646This article appears with permission by the original publisher: Canadian Parliamentary Review, Winter 37(4), 2014.The recent trend of “open government” initiatives has provided an exciting new source of material for digital humanities researchers. Large datasets allow these scholars to engage in “distant reading” exercises to provide context in ways previously not possible. In this article, the author provides examples of the tools researchers can use to expand their understanding of the country’s political history and of the changing nature of parliamentary institutions and debates. He concludes with suggestions for ways to gain the maximum benefit from these data releases.enOpen dataDigital humanitiesOpen governmentOpen Data’s Potential for Political HistoryArticle