ELEMENTS OF DIGITAL EDITING

In its broader meaning, 'digital philology' comprises the ecdotic, as well as the hermeneutic process carried out through the digital medium. More specifically, it concerns the relationship between ICT systems and the critical analysis of documents/texts in the digital format. The course will present the theoretical frameworks and the methodologies underlying Digital Philology and the tools for the creation of Digital Scholarly Editions. Moreover, through the examination of linguistic corpora and the tools for their creation, students will gain knowledge about the methods and techniques for the creation of linguistic resources that are relevant for the scientific study of languages and their textual traditions. The course allows students to develop abilities and acquire knowledge for the study of languages and their textual traditions and the digital methodologies that add further value to these. Digital text processing in a broader sense contributes in fact to add further value to linguistic and literary heritage. The course will be entirely taught in English.

Student Learning Objectives (SLO):
To acquire knowledge and understanding in the main topics regarding the XML/TEI markup language, as well as the methodologies for digital processing of texts and their visualization, by being exposed to both the current theoretical debate and its applications in the field of Digital Philology and corpus linguistics.
To apply their knowledge and understanding, and problem solving abilities in new or unfamiliar environments within broader contexts related to digital philology and corpus linguistics (e.g. textual criticism, digital tools and methods and theoretical reflections about them);
To have the ability to integrate knowledge and handle complexity, and and individuate the appropriate markup strategies for different textual data. The ability to formulate judgements will include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge (e.g.the impact of digital scholarly editions and language corpora in the framework of open science);
To be able to communicate their conclusions, and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these, to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously, using the appropriate language register;
To be able to represent course content organically and critically consult reference texts;
To acquire the learning skills that should allow them to continue to study in a manner that may be largely self-directed or autonomous (e.g. through individual independent reading on textual scholarship, as well as individuating the digital tools and methods most appropriate).

No specific prerequisites. The necessary basic notions will be provided at the beginning of the course through dedicated materials, which will take into account the students' background.

The module will provide a critical review of the most important and current scholarly issues related to digital text processing, including the notions of 'scholarly edition' and 'digital scholarly edition.' Language corpora querying methods and different annotation standards will also be examined.
It will also examine the most popular tools in the scholarly community regarding:
- Text encoding procedures and their visualization;
- The different annotation systems of linguistic corpora and how to visualize them;
- automatic transcription of medieval texts.
Practical exercises based on authentic materials will be carried out in class.

A) Compulsory reading:
Pierazzo, Elena 2015. Digital Scholarly Editing: Theories, Models and Methods. Farnham: Ashgate [Chapters 2, 3, 5 and 6]
Selected readings from Driscoll, Matthew James and Elena Pierazzo. 2016. Digital Scholarly Editing, Theories and Practices. Digital Humanities Series, Vol. 4, doi, https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0095
B) Look-up materials for the hands-on sessions:
Text Encoding Initiative Guidelines:
TEI P5: Guidelines for Electronic Text Encoding and Interchange, http://www.tei-c.org/release/doc/tei-p5-doc/en/html/index.html
At the beginning of the course you will receive indications regarding programmes and softwares necessary for the hands-on sessions.

The written exam consists of four (4) open questions, and lasts 90 minutes. Open questions allow to test critical thought, as well as the capacity of mastering the subject through specific skills (e.g. text encoding, use of one or more tools illustrated in the module).
More specifically:
- Knowledge and understanding: checked through content questions;
- Applying knowledge and understanding: checked through practical exercises, such as text encoding exercises;
- Making judgements: checked through methodological questions;
- Communication skills: checked through open questions (whether students communicate their conclusions clearly and unambiguously, as well as the knowledge and rationale underpinning these);
- Learning skills: evaluation of the students' autonomy of judgement.

written

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

A. scores between 18 and 22 will be awarded in the presence of sufficient knowledge of the theoretical frameworks and the methodologies of encoding and digital text processing and sufficient ability to apply the notions addressed in the course;
B. scores between 23 and 26 will be awarded in the presence of fair knowledge of the theoretical frameworks and the methodologies of encoding and digital processing of texts and fair ability to apply the notions addressed in the course;
C. scores between 27 and 30 will be awarded in the presence of good or excellent knowledge of the theoretical frameworks and the methodologies of encoding and digital text processing and good or excellent ability to apply the notions addressed in the course;
D. honors will be awarded in the presence of excellent knowledge of the theoretical frameworks and the methodologies of encoding and digital text processing and excellent application of the notions addressed in the course.

Lectures, lecturer-led discussions and hands-on sessions.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development