Syllabus

This module explores the challenges and opportunities associated with the use of historical sources in the digital context. Digitisation has transformed the way historians access sources, with many physical documents now accessible online and the emergence of new types of digital content. This module examines the implications of this transformation, highlighting the issues linked to new practices of consulting online sources and so-called “digital native” sources. Students are made aware of the advantages and limitations with regard to digital preservation, and develop a critical understanding of the platforms and tools available online for contemporary history research. To familiarise themselves specifically with these issues, students work on the history of pollution and its regulation using different sources and online databases (Swissvote, IndustryDocumentsLibrary, Letempsarchives, digitisation orders from the Swiss Federal Archives, etc.). They then compare these practices with more traditional methods of on site archival research.

This module introduces the topic of databases and information systems using the example of Swiss victims of the Nazi dictatorship. The Swiss victims of Nazism include several thousand Swiss nationals who were living abroad during the Nazi era and who fell into the clutches of Nazi institutions for racist, ideological or political reasons. Some were released, partly due to the intervention of the Swiss authorities, while others had to endure stays in prisons and camps, which in some cases resulted in their being killed.

Databases play a central role in the registration of Nazi victims. In the module, we discuss existing victim databases and analyse their strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, we consider criteria by which the victims we are examining could be categorised and stored in a database. On the one hand, this involves socio-demographic characteristics, but aspects relevant to persecution, such as places of residence and institutions of detention, also play a role.

The aim of the module is, on the one hand, to gain insight into the history of Swiss victims of Nazi persecution and to work on a specific case ourselves on the basis of the files stored in the Swiss Federal Archives. On the other hand, we will get to know various databases and discuss approaches to creating a research-relevant and informative database from a large number of different cases.

This module offers a methodological and historiographical exploration centred on a corpus of archival material related to the League of Nations during the interwar period. By analysing administrative documents, records of international parliamentary debates, and press coverage, students develop a multi-scalar approach to a historical object: micro (the League's secretariat), meso (debates within the institution), and macro (public and media reception of the League's activities).

Each student undertakes a guided mini-research project on a specific topic, applying both qualitative and quantitative methods drawn from the digital humanities (prosopography, distant reading, network visualisation). The objective is to understand how historians can interpret complex historical phenomena by combining diverse archival sources, while critically examining their biases, silences, and representational dynamics.

Drawing on digitised resources from the League of Nations archives in Geneva and a selection of scholarly readings, students acquire skills in corpus building, source criticism, and cross-cutting analysis of historical data. The module prepares students for the practice of a connected, actor-focused history that operates across scales and is grounded in the reflective ethos of the historical sciences.

This module equips students with the essential skills to present their research findings in an impactful and appropriate manner. The way data is visualised can influence the understanding and appreciation of the past. With an emphasis on the use of computer tools, this module explores the requirement for outreach and public history, encouraging students to communicate their findings effectively to different audiences.

This module is a self-learning module offered on our Kairos learning platform, which serves as a toolbox allowing students to choose from a range of available modules. Each focuses on specific digital skills and thematic areas relevant to digital history. The validation of the modules (four max) occurs at the end of the semester and the evaluation may take different forms: written work, reading sheets, oral presentation, multiple choice questions, etc.

Module M05-1 offers an experimental journey into the world of large-scale historical data analysis. It is experimental in several ways: firstly, because it is built around a series of small-scale experiments within large source collections; secondly, because its aim is not to transmit established knowledge but to provide participants with a personal experience and help them develop skills that may prove useful for further historical studies. The press archives explored in this module comprise over 5,000,000 pages from dozens of Swiss newspapers spanning more than two centuries. But this is not about "big data" — the key objective is to explore how historians can navigate such corpora and integrate them into a methodological approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative perspectives.

The script and Kairos questions for this module are in French. However, students may submit their final assignment in the language of their choice (German, French or English).

This module is a self-learning module offered on our Kairos learning platform, which serves as a toolbox allowing students to choose from a range of available modules. Each focuses on specific digital skills and thematic areas relevant to digital history. The validation of the modules (four max) occurs at the end of the semester and the evaluation may take different forms: written work, reading sheets, oral presentation, multiple choice questions, etc.

Over the past decades, digital history has become a significant and highly dynamic field within the historical sciences. Module M05-2 focuses on tracing the development of this field and situating its key questions and subfields within a critical and reflective framework. Following a historical and systematic approach, the module examines how digital history connects with network history and interdisciplinarity. It also addresses epistemological and practical aspects of working in digital history, using selected readings (excerpts) and a set of sample projects as a basis for thematic exploration and discussion. The module’s goal is to offer multiple entry points — historical, theoretical, and practice-oriented — into the field of digital history, introducing its central areas and engaging with the questions and possibilities arising from its current developments.

The script and Kairos questions for this module are in German. However, students may submit their final assignment in the language of their choice (German, French or English).

This module is a self-learning module offered on our Kairos learning platform, which serves as a toolbox allowing students to choose from a range of available modules. Each focuses on specific digital skills and thematic areas relevant to digital history. The validation of the modules (four max) occurs at the end of the semester and the evaluation may take different forms: written work, reading sheets, oral presentation, multiple choice questions, etc.

Module M05-3 will first explore the landscape of intellectual and scientific production in the context of digitalization. It will then examine the formal regulation of intellectual property, with a view to provide historians with a foundational knowledge in this area. The course will present key concepts related to copyright law and consider the implications of intellectual property and copyright for the production, distribution, and consumption of immaterial goods such as data, information, and cultural products. In a second step, the course will introduce the concept of openness, describing it as a paradigm of which the principle and practice of open science is an integral part. On this basis, the course will discuss in depth the notions of public domain, open licenses and Creative Commons, Open Educational Resources and Open Access. In its third and fourths parts, the course will take a closer look at free software and open tools: it will begin with a presentation of the history, logic, and role of free/open source software in the contemporary intellectual and technological landscape, and then discuss (in part four) the practical implications of open platforms and open source tools for historians, with a view to strengthen software literacy and to develop concrete practical skills useful in the historical profession.

The script and Kairos questions for this module are in English. However, students may submit their final assignment in the language of their choice (German, French or English).

This module is a self-learning module offered on our Kairos learning platform, which serves as a toolbox allowing students to choose from a range of available modules. Each focuses on specific digital skills and thematic areas relevant to digital history. The validation of the modules (four max) occurs at the end of the semester and the evaluation may take different forms: written work, reading sheets, oral presentation, multiple choice questions, etc.

With the rise of digitisation, audiovisual media companies are beginning to open their extensive archives, offering new perspectives to historical research — an area in which historians still have limited experience. In Switzerland, the SRG has taken on a pioneering role in this regard. Module M05-4 introduces students to the handling of audiovisual sources, building on the foundations of traditional archival science. It aims to foster a better understanding of these sources and encourage a critical approach to working with them. The course begins by outlining the general functions of archives in their historical context, before shifting the focus to digital audiovisual media archives. In addition, the module provides practical guidance and tools: where and how to locate certain documents, how to work with them, and which aspects are particularly relevant in source criticism. Students will assemble their own curated selection of audiovisual materials.

The script and Kairos questions for this module are in German. However, students may submit their final assignment in the language of their choice (German, French or English).

This module is a self-learning module offered on our Kairos learning platform, which serves as a toolbox allowing students to choose from a range of available modules. Each focuses on specific digital skills and thematic areas relevant to digital history. The validation of the modules (four max) occurs at the end of the semester and the evaluation may take different forms: written work, reading sheets, oral presentation, multiple choice questions, etc.

Module M05-5 explores issues related to the representation of space in the process of producing and disseminating historical knowledge. Cartography – especially historical geographic information systems (H-GIS) – has significantly transformed how historians conceptualise and depict space in past societies. This module examines the implications of this shift, highlighting challenges related to the digitisation of spatial sources and data. Students are introduced to the project development process and the limitations surrounding the dissemination and long-term preservation of such digital platforms. To gain hands-on experience with these issues, students develop their own spatial history project using different tools (e.g. QGIS), thereby acquiring practical skills. When relevant, they compare this approach with traditional methods of cartographic production in history. To contextualise their work, students engage with existing historiography addressing the role of space across various areas of historical research (urban history, social history, environmental history, etc.).

The script and Kairos questions for this module are in French. However, students may submit their final assignment in the language of their choice (German, French or English).

With this module, students directly engage with the professional reality of academic, cultural, heritage or media environments. Scientific events may take various forms, ranging from excursions to Swiss or foreign research centres and institutions lasting several days, to the organisation of conference cycles as well as the participation to block seminars, workshops or summer schools at partner institutions.

Students are encouraged to participate actively in these events, interact with professionals from various fields, and apply their historical skills. Writing a final report, validated by the person in charge of the event, enables students to consolidate their knowledge and deepen their understanding of the roles of the historian in various professional contexts.

The objective of this module is to enable students who wish to do so to put their skills into practice in a professional environment while actively contributing to the advancement of a digital research project. Equivalent to 50% for 2 months, the internship involves students in a specific project carried out by a cultural or heritage institution (research centre, library, museum, etc.). The internship is supervised by the reference person of the institution and by the coordinator for the course. It is validated by a final report.

In this module, students are committed to write and defend their master’s thesis. Although official validation occurs at the end of the master programme, students are encouraged to reflect on their subject, their sources, their approach, and their methodology from the first modules on, in order to have the time required to develop their research in depth. Students are monitored by a supervisor who help them structure and conduct their master’s original research. The research colloquium is an obligatory intermediate step in which the students present their research findings to the other students and the various supervisors.

The aim of this module is to assess students' knowledge transfer skills. Once the writing is completed, students defend their master dissertation, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the topic and its implications. They then promote the results of their work online, using one of the digital tools they practiced during their study programme. This may take the form of interactive visualisations, explanatory video clips, podcasts or other digital media. This step does not only develop technical skills, but also the ability to effectively communicate research results to the public.