B5237 - LABORATORIO PER LE FONTI DI ETÀ MODERNA (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the workshop, students will be familiar with the methodological and practical problems associated with the use of different sources for the early modern age, their different material supports, their classification and preservation; they will know the techniques of heuristics, edition and analysis of 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 use and apply the tools, including digital ones, of bibliographical and archival research, of the compilation of 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 and are 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 various means of communication, dissemination and teaching. Students 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

After examining the distinction between primary and secondary sources and written and non-written sources, as well as reflecting on how sources are preserved over time and the spaces, the workshop aims to provide an overview of the archival sources (both original and digitized) available to historians of the Early Modern period. It will also offer students the opportunity to develop skills in reading and transcribing historical sources. In addition, the professor will introduce students to databases of historical sources and digitized collections in Italian, English, and French. The analysis, contextualization, and interpretation of sources will be complemented by an explanation of the research methodologies that historians use for their research.

Readings/Bibliography

Maria Pia Paoli (ed.), Nel laboratorio della storia: una guida alle fonti dell’età moderna, Roma, Carocci, 2014.

Fernand Braudel, Storia, misura del Mondo, Bologna, il Mulino, (1997 ed. francese), 1998 or later editions.

The course also includes the analysis, the transcription of a historical source selected by the student in agreement with the professor.

To facilitate the organization of visits to archives and libraries, as well as the selection of the relevant archival and library collections, students must contact the professor by October, 10 with a brief email outlining their research interests.

Teaching methods

Seminar sessions, working groups, visits to archives and libraries (5  visits are scheduled):

 

Archivio di Stato di Bologna, Archivio Arcivescovile di Bologna, Biblioteca Comunale dell’Archiginnasio, Biblioteca Universitaria di Bologna, Archivio Storico dell’Università di Bologna.

Assessment methods

Assessment will be based on students’ knowledge of the different types of historical sources; their understanding of historical methodologies (supported by selected chapters from Nel laboratorio della storia, which will be assigned and discussed during the course); the reading, analysis, and, where appropriate, transcription of a historical source chosen by the student; and the knowledge of Fernand Braudel’s Storia, misura del Mondo, listed in the bibliography.

Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to use appropriate disciplinary terminology and to adopt a critical approach to the analysis and interpretation of historical sources.

8 examination sessions are scheduled during the academic year, in February, April, May, June, September, October, November, and December.

As this is a laboratory-based course, attendance is strongly recommended.

Students are considered to be attending the course if they participate in at least 75% of the classes.

Given the laboratory-based nature of the course, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) during the oral assessment is prohibited. Any use of AI constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

Teaching tools

On Virtuale platform the professor will upload material useful for the laboratory.

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 Giulia Bonazza