Developing digital historians in Italy

Research output: ThesisDoctoral Thesis

Abstract

This study concerns the experiences of Italian digital historians and their implications
for historical scholarship. The present and future of the profession of historian, in
academia and outside it, are inextricably linked to the digital revolution that is
pervading society. How historians face the challenges and take advantage of the
affordances of technology will have a strong impact on teaching and researching
history in the future. However, the voice of digital historians on these issues does not
emerge systematically from the literature.
This research uses grounded theory methodology to delineate a theory of being a digital
historian in Italy, a country with a rich historiographical tradition and widespread
interest in history, but a weak connection with technology in scholarly endeavours.
Based on in-depth interviews with digital historians, the analysis presented here
highlights their initiatives, evaluations and strategies, in relation to all aspects of
scholarship but particularly the education of future historians. This research is
motivated and informed by my professional experience as lecturer in digital
methodologies for historical research.
The emerging theory revolves around the concept of developing digital history: Italian
digital historians are pioneers, animated by passion and desire to innovate but working
in a challenging, largely unsupportive environment where their initiatives have not
translated well into educational provision for future digital historians or, more
generally, to provide students with tools and methodology for historiography in the
digital age. Through an illuminative comparison with interviews conducted with digital
historians in the United Kingdom, differences and similarities are analysed, with a view
to creating a general theory of being a digital historian and its implications for the
future of scholarship in history.
This work postulates that teaching history in the digital age should be addressed within
historiography and provisions should be made for sustainable resources and educational
programmes.
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • Open University
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Ferguson, Rebecca, Supervisor, External person
Publication statusPublished - 2014

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