B5233 - Laboratory (1) (LM) (G.C)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the workshop, students will be able to organise and collect complex information in a coherent way and use the tools acquired to develop project ideas relevant to the disciplines studied. They will be digitally literate and able to process, catalogue and make usable sources, metadata and scientific research results relevant to the disciplines studied, according to the principles of open science, and to promote historical memory, taking into account the specificities of the different communication, dissemination and didactic media. They will be familiar with didactic tools, including digital ones, and will develop publishing skills. They will be able to update their knowledge and research methods through opportunities for comparison 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

The workshop is designed to provide an introduction to the different types of sources and research methodologies used in contemporary history, while also equipping students with practical tools for preparing their Master's thesis and, where relevant, for developing a future doctoral research project.

The workshop focuses on several key aspects of historical research, including the concept of the historiographical state of the art, bibliographical research, the use of primary sources, and the practical dimensions of archival research.

The course also encourages reflection on the distinctive features and richness of historical writing through the analysis of historiographical works that depart from the conventional format of the scholarly monograph.

There are no specific prerequisites for successfully undertaking the workshop.

Given the workshop-based nature of the course, students are asked to email the instructor at [mailto:jacopo.lorenzini2@unibo.it] as soon as they have added the workshop to their study plan in order to confirm their enrolment.

Readings/Bibliography

Gruppo 1: storiografia

Romagnani G.P., Storia della storiografia. Dall’antichità a oggi, Carocci 2019.

Burke P. (a cura di), La storiografia contemporanea, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1993.

 

Gruppo 2: uso delle fonti

Luzzatto S. (a cura di), Prima lezione di metodo storico, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2010.

 

Gruppo 3: scrivere di storia

Darnton R., Il grande massacro dei gatti, Adelphi, Milano 2026. 

Cobb R., Reazioni alla rivoluzione francese, Adelphi, Milano 1990.

Traverso E., La tirannide dell'io: Scrivere il passato in prima persona, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2022.

Zemon Davies N., Il ritorno di Martin Guerre. Un caso di doppia identità nella Francia del Cinquecento, Officina Libraria, Roma 2022.

[in aggiornamento]

Teaching methods

Students will engage in a range of activities, including class discussions, case studies, targeted bibliographical research, and discussions with specialists in the various fields addressed during the workshop.

The workshop will include one or more visits to different types of archives, accompanied by training sessions led by archival staff. Students will also have the opportunity to meet authors of historical works and discuss with them the intellectual premises, research process, and development of their publications.

The workshop is designed around in-person, classroom-based activities that rely on active student participation. Regular attendance is therefore strongly encouraged. Students who attend at least 75% of the scheduled sessions will be considered attending students.

Assessment methods

Attending students

Assessment for the award of the pass grade consists of the submission of either:

• a written paper including a historiographical state of the art and a bibliographical survey on the topic that the student intends to develop for their Master's thesis; or
• a critical and original analysis of an archival source selected from those examined during the workshop and agreed in advance with the instructor.

The assessment of attending students will also take into account the consistency of attendance and the quality of their active participation throughout the workshop. The threshold for obtaining a pass therefore requires both active participation in the workshop sessions and the submission of a final paper demonstrating critical analysis and the ability to synthesise and organise complex information in a coherent manner.

 

Non-attending students

Students who are unable to attend the workshop are required to study the texts listed in the Texts/Bibliography section. Specifically, candidates must select one text from Group 1, one from Group 2, and one from Group 3. Assessment will take the form of an oral examination.

 

Assessment sessions are scheduled throughout the academic year in the following periods:

• September (all students)
• November/December (all students)
• January/February (all students)
• March (all students)
• April (all students)
• May (all students)
• June (all students)
  

With regard to assessment, limited, transparent, and non-substantive use of artificial intelligence tools is permitted for support activities such as translation and language editing. The substantive use of AI for completing any part of the assessed work is not permitted.

Teaching tools

Course information and teaching materials will be available through Virtuale, AlmaStart, and the professor's webpage.

Students with specific learning disorders (SLDs) or temporary or permanent disabilities are strongly encouraged to contact the University's dedicated support office at an early stage (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ). The office will propose any appropriate accommodations for eligible students. Such accommodations must be submitted to the instructor for approval at least 15 days in advance. The instructor will assess their appropriateness in light of the course's intended learning outcomes.

Office hours

See the website of Jacopo Lorenzini