Digital Humanities
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
The course aims to introduce the transversal and interdisciplinary field of Digital humanities and the methods and tools in this area available today to scholars in many different fields of the Humanities. After an initial historical framework on the characteristics and purposes of digital humanities, the course will focus in particular on the phases of data acquisition, management and return. National and international research projects will be examined.
[If useful, during the lessons, some experts may be invited to talk about specific matters].
[If useful, during the lessons, some experts may be invited to talk about specific matters].
Expected learning outcomes
The course aims to provide participants with an as organic as possible framework of Digital humanities. Starting from an initial frame that reconstructs the birth of this interdisciplinary field and the debate about its autonomous status, not always and not everywhere recognized, some areas of humanistic research will be examined which can draw inspiration for renewal from the application of IT tools and methods. Particular emphasis will be given to the acquisition, representation, management and output of data, also using a review of the numerous research projects and tools existing in Italy and abroad.
At the end of the course the participants will be able to consciously orient themselves in the complex of Digital humanities and to imagine possible applications according to the disciplinary sectors.
The teaching tools used will be various: slides, videos, personal readings, projects planning. Depending on the organizational needs, some lessons can be modulated as seminars with expert scholars called to dialogue in the classroom with the teacher and, above all, with the students.
Taking into account the character of the course, the comparison with the teacher must be continuous and constant.
Non-attending students will be able to use the tools made available by the teacher and to deepen the main topics through specific readings agreed with the teacher with which they will, of course, interact in the most appropriate ways (reception, exchange of e-mail messages, calls via Skype or other similar tools, etc.).
At the end of the course the participants will be able to consciously orient themselves in the complex of Digital humanities and to imagine possible applications according to the disciplinary sectors.
The teaching tools used will be various: slides, videos, personal readings, projects planning. Depending on the organizational needs, some lessons can be modulated as seminars with expert scholars called to dialogue in the classroom with the teacher and, above all, with the students.
Taking into account the character of the course, the comparison with the teacher must be continuous and constant.
Non-attending students will be able to use the tools made available by the teacher and to deepen the main topics through specific readings agreed with the teacher with which they will, of course, interact in the most appropriate ways (reception, exchange of e-mail messages, calls via Skype or other similar tools, etc.).
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The course aims to introduce the transversal and interdisciplinary terrain of Digital humanities and the methods and tools available today for scholars in the various humanities disciplines. After an initial overview, also of a historical nature, on the characteristics and purposes of digital humanities, we will focus in particular on the phases of acquisition, management and return of data and we will examine the numerous research projects and tools existing in Italy and abroad.
During the lessons, some experts may be invited to discuss specific topics.
Part 1: Historical evolution and context: characteristics, origins, purposes, trends of Digital humanities; illustration of national and international projects; conception and drafting of a research project.
Part 2: Principles and languages: acquisition, representation, management and output of data for the description of documentary heritage; elements of communication and scientific dissemination; mentions of the evaluation of the research, the metrics and the main databases and tools used; concept of open science and open access; introduction to Linked open data and Semantic Web; scenarios opened by generative artificial intelligences.
Part 3: Enhancement of documentary heritage: main techniques and practical experiences of conservation and digitization of documentary funds, virtualization methodologies (enhancement, communication, digital dissemination) of documentary heritage updated to the most recent national regulatory developments, international standards and experimental technological applications.
During the lessons, some experts may be invited to discuss specific topics.
Part 1: Historical evolution and context: characteristics, origins, purposes, trends of Digital humanities; illustration of national and international projects; conception and drafting of a research project.
Part 2: Principles and languages: acquisition, representation, management and output of data for the description of documentary heritage; elements of communication and scientific dissemination; mentions of the evaluation of the research, the metrics and the main databases and tools used; concept of open science and open access; introduction to Linked open data and Semantic Web; scenarios opened by generative artificial intelligences.
Part 3: Enhancement of documentary heritage: main techniques and practical experiences of conservation and digitization of documentary funds, virtualization methodologies (enhancement, communication, digital dissemination) of documentary heritage updated to the most recent national regulatory developments, international standards and experimental technological applications.
Prerequisites for admission
There are no specific requirements different from those requested for the MA degree admission.
It is useful to have attended courses in Archiving, Library and information science and Digital librarianship.
It is useful to have attended courses in Archiving, Library and information science and Digital librarianship.
Teaching methods
Attendance of the lessons is strongly recommended, although not mandatory.
The course consists of lectures aimed at acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge, skills and the appropriate language. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the course, existing projects, resources and tools will also be shown, also useful to prepare the final exam.
Discussion with the professor is an essential part of the teaching method and aims at stimulating curiosity and critical attitude and facilitating the ability to apply the skills and knowledge acquired.
The teaching is also based on didactic and multimedia material provided on MyAriel platform.
It is advisable that all students, attending and non-attending, who intend to take the 9 or 6 credit exam first agree on the scope and development of the project with the teacher.
The course consists of lectures aimed at acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge, skills and the appropriate language. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the course, existing projects, resources and tools will also be shown, also useful to prepare the final exam.
Discussion with the professor is an essential part of the teaching method and aims at stimulating curiosity and critical attitude and facilitating the ability to apply the skills and knowledge acquired.
The teaching is also based on didactic and multimedia material provided on MyAriel platform.
It is advisable that all students, attending and non-attending, who intend to take the 9 or 6 credit exam first agree on the scope and development of the project with the teacher.
Teaching Resources
Program for 6 credits (attending and non-attending students):
- knowledge of the topics covered in class (parts 1 and 2);
- knowledge of the text:
Digital humanities: metodi, strumenti, saperi, a cura di Fabio Ciotti, Roma, Carocci, 2023
OR Francesca Tomasi, Organizzare la conoscenza: Digital humanities e web semantico, Milano, Editrice bibliografica, 2021
OR Debates in the Digital humanities 2023, Matthew K. Gold and Lauren F. Klein editors, Minneapolis, London, University of Minnesota Press, 2023, available open access at https://dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu/projects/debates-in-the-digital-humanities-2023
OR Marco Lazzari, Informatica umanistica, 4th ed. (expected release, January 2027)
- critical reading of one of the following texts:
1) Gino Roncaglia, L'architetto e l'oracolo: forme digitali del sapere da Wikipedia a ChatGPT, Roma, Bari, Laterza, 2023
2) Paola Castellucci, Carte del nuovo mondo: banche dati e open access, Bologna, Il mulino, 2017
3) The online Manifesto: being human in a hyperconnected era, editor Luciano Floridi, Cham [etc.]: Springer, 2015, solo le parti 1, 3 e 4 (p. 1-13; 41-85), disponibile ad accesso aperto all'indirizzo https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-04093-6
4) Emma Annette Wilson, Digital humanities for librarians, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020
Program for 9 credits (attending and non-attending students):
- knowledge of the topics covered in class (parts 1, 2, 3);
- knowledge of the text:
Digital humanities: metodi, strumenti, saperi, a cura di Fabio Ciotti, Roma, Carocci, 2023
OR Francesca Tomasi, Organizzare la conoscenza: Digital humanities e web semantico, Milano, Editrice bibliografica, 2021
OR Debates in the Digital humanities 2023, Matthew K. Gold and Lauren F. Klein editors, Minneapolis, London, University of Minnesota Press, 2023, available open access at https://dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu/projects/debates-in-the-digital-humanities-2023
OR Marco Lazzari, Informatica umanistica, 4th ed. (expected release, January 2027)
- critical reading of two of the following texts:
1) Gino Roncaglia, L'architetto e l'oracolo: forme digitali del sapere da Wikipedia a ChatGPT, Roma, Bari, Laterza, 2023
2) Paola Castellucci, Carte del nuovo mondo: banche dati e open access, Bologna, Il mulino, 2017
3) The online Manifesto: being human in a hyperconnected era, editor Luciano Floridi, Cham [etc.]: Springer, 2015, solo le parti 1, 3 e 4 (p. 1-13; 41-85), disponibile ad accesso aperto all'indirizzo https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-04093-6
4) Emma Annette Wilson, Digital humanities for librarians, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020
5) Valentina Pasqual, Francesca Tomasi, Linked open data per la valorizzazione di collezioni culturali: il dataset mythLOD, "AIB studi", 62 (2022), n. 1, p. 149-168, available open access at https://doi.org/10.2426/aibstudi-13301 PLUS Manifesto per il Web semantico: la comunità dei dati, 12 ottobre 2020, available open access at https://www.aib.it/struttura/commissioni-e-gruppi/gruppo-di-studio-catalogazione-ed-indicizzazione/2020/86520-manifesto-per-il-web-semantico-la-comunita-dei-dati/ PLUS David Berry, AI, ethics, and Digital humanities, in The Bloomsbury handbook to the Digital humanities, edited by James O'Sullivan, London, Bloomsbury Academic, 2022, p. 445-457, available open access at https://hdl.handle.net/10779/uos.23309129.v1
- knowledge of the topics covered in class (parts 1 and 2);
- knowledge of the text:
Digital humanities: metodi, strumenti, saperi, a cura di Fabio Ciotti, Roma, Carocci, 2023
OR Francesca Tomasi, Organizzare la conoscenza: Digital humanities e web semantico, Milano, Editrice bibliografica, 2021
OR Debates in the Digital humanities 2023, Matthew K. Gold and Lauren F. Klein editors, Minneapolis, London, University of Minnesota Press, 2023, available open access at https://dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu/projects/debates-in-the-digital-humanities-2023
OR Marco Lazzari, Informatica umanistica, 4th ed. (expected release, January 2027)
- critical reading of one of the following texts:
1) Gino Roncaglia, L'architetto e l'oracolo: forme digitali del sapere da Wikipedia a ChatGPT, Roma, Bari, Laterza, 2023
2) Paola Castellucci, Carte del nuovo mondo: banche dati e open access, Bologna, Il mulino, 2017
3) The online Manifesto: being human in a hyperconnected era, editor Luciano Floridi, Cham [etc.]: Springer, 2015, solo le parti 1, 3 e 4 (p. 1-13; 41-85), disponibile ad accesso aperto all'indirizzo https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-04093-6
4) Emma Annette Wilson, Digital humanities for librarians, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020
Program for 9 credits (attending and non-attending students):
- knowledge of the topics covered in class (parts 1, 2, 3);
- knowledge of the text:
Digital humanities: metodi, strumenti, saperi, a cura di Fabio Ciotti, Roma, Carocci, 2023
OR Francesca Tomasi, Organizzare la conoscenza: Digital humanities e web semantico, Milano, Editrice bibliografica, 2021
OR Debates in the Digital humanities 2023, Matthew K. Gold and Lauren F. Klein editors, Minneapolis, London, University of Minnesota Press, 2023, available open access at https://dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu/projects/debates-in-the-digital-humanities-2023
OR Marco Lazzari, Informatica umanistica, 4th ed. (expected release, January 2027)
- critical reading of two of the following texts:
1) Gino Roncaglia, L'architetto e l'oracolo: forme digitali del sapere da Wikipedia a ChatGPT, Roma, Bari, Laterza, 2023
2) Paola Castellucci, Carte del nuovo mondo: banche dati e open access, Bologna, Il mulino, 2017
3) The online Manifesto: being human in a hyperconnected era, editor Luciano Floridi, Cham [etc.]: Springer, 2015, solo le parti 1, 3 e 4 (p. 1-13; 41-85), disponibile ad accesso aperto all'indirizzo https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-04093-6
4) Emma Annette Wilson, Digital humanities for librarians, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020
5) Valentina Pasqual, Francesca Tomasi, Linked open data per la valorizzazione di collezioni culturali: il dataset mythLOD, "AIB studi", 62 (2022), n. 1, p. 149-168, available open access at https://doi.org/10.2426/aibstudi-13301 PLUS Manifesto per il Web semantico: la comunità dei dati, 12 ottobre 2020, available open access at https://www.aib.it/struttura/commissioni-e-gruppi/gruppo-di-studio-catalogazione-ed-indicizzazione/2020/86520-manifesto-per-il-web-semantico-la-comunita-dei-dati/ PLUS David Berry, AI, ethics, and Digital humanities, in The Bloomsbury handbook to the Digital humanities, edited by James O'Sullivan, London, Bloomsbury Academic, 2022, p. 445-457, available open access at https://hdl.handle.net/10779/uos.23309129.v1
Assessment methods and Criteria
Method and type of exam: oral exam (interview with discussion of a written paper to the teacher via email approximately seven days before the exam date).
N.B.: The paper is mandatory for both attending and non-attending students.
N.B.: The paper is mandatory for both attending and non-attending students.
Modules or teaching units
Part A and B
HIST-04/C - Archiving, Bibliography and Librarianship - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Part C
HIST-04/C - Archiving, Bibliography and Librarianship - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
The last reception before the summer break will be held on Wednesday 15 July at 1pm. Every Thursday from 1 pm at the University and on the Teams channel (e3eetcb).
Via Festa del Perdono, 7 - Cortile della legnaia - Dept. of History, sector C, second floor; Microsoft Teams classroom, code e3eetcb