B5234 - Digital Laboratory for Classical Sources (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the workshop, students will be familiar with the methodological and practical problems connected with the use of classical textual sources, including the appreciation of material supports, issues of classification and preservation; they will be able to retrieve, edit and analyse sources from a textual and material point of view, and will be able to carry out comparative analyses of different types of documents; they will know how to retrieve bibliographies and develop source collections and corpora, and will be aware of the implications of digital research infrastructures. They will be able to organise and collect complex information in a coherent way. They will be able to produce digital data; they will be able to disseminate sources, metadata and the results of scientific research in accordance with the principles of open science; and they will be able to promote historical memory, taking into account the specificities of the different media and dissemination or teaching environments. They will be able to update their knowledge and research methods through opportunities for dialogue and learning according to their abilities and inclinations and through the tools developed by the scientific community, using analogue and digital resources and independently consulting historiographical texts in original languages other than Italian.

Course contents

Through this laboratory, students will learn the methods and acquire the knowledge necessary for producing scholarly editions of written artefacts.
They will be trained in encoding manuscripts, inscriptions, and other documentary sources according to the TEI [https://tei-c.org/] XML standard and the EpiDoc [https://sourceforge.net/p/epidoc/wiki/Home/] XML conventions, the reference tools for digitally encoding ancient and medieval documents. Semantic encoding not only addresses the transcription and editorial treatment of the texts themselves, but also the history and materiality of the objects on which they appear.

Readings/Bibliography

Preliminary readings: G. Bodard, EpiDoc: Epigraphic Documents in XML for publication and interchange, in F. Feraudi-Gruenais (ed.), Latin on Stone: Epigraphic Research and Electronic Archives, Lanham 2009, 1-17; C. Roueché, J. Flanders, Gentle Introduction to Mark-up for Epigraphers [https://epidoc.stoa.org/gl/latest/intro-eps.html] .

While the course does not require any further reading, it promotes knowledge of the guidelines for digital semantic encoding and the production of digital editions. Students will work with a selection of written artefacts of their choice.

To apply for a place on this laboratory, which requires attendance and will take place in the third term, please send a brief explanation of your motivation for seeking this training (including details of any relevant sources or projects) to alice.bencivenni2@unibo.it before 15 December 2025.

Teaching methods

The laboratory consists of workshops, with hands-on training involving real-time discussion and feedback sessions, as well as asynchronous tutorials and exercises. Students will practise using classical sources and contribute to collaborative, international platforms for the digital publication of ancient texts.

No prior technical knowledge is required, but participants should be familiar with transcription conventions for inscriptions and papyri ('Leiden') and for manuscripts, as well as with Greek, Latin or other ancient languages.

The course is part of the university's didactic innovation project, operating according to the 'Integrative Digital Didactics (IDD)' model.

Assessment methods

During and after the course, students will draw up digital exercises and scholarly editions of written artefacts, chosen in accordance with their research interests, which will be evaluated by the teacher.

The evaluation will consider methodological accuracy, mastery of the subject matter, and autonomy in completing the work.

There are eight examination sessions throughout the academic year: the first three are held once a month from April to June, the fourth is held in September or October, the fifth is held in December, and the last three are held once a month from January to March.

Teaching tools

The Virtuale platform (virtuale.unibo.it) will make the tools produced by the EpiDoc community available in a structured form. The EpiDoc community collaboratively develops and shares guidelines for the digital, semantic encoding of ancient written sources [https://epidoc.stoa.org/gl/latest/]. The platform will also make available the tools produced by the ENCODE project [https://site.unibo.it/encode/it], an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership for Higher Education funded by the EU (2020–2023). ENCODE aims to bridge the gap between the unique education in the humanities and the digital skills now necessary for studying, researching and working in the field of teaching and learning ancient scripts.

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible [https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students] as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Alice Bencivenni