The first comprehensive guide dedicated solely to research on Latin-European early modern student notes The many preserved collections of student notes from the early modern period – ranging from neatly maintained notebooks to barely legible scribbles crammed between lines of printed text – hold considerable but largely untapped potential as an historical source. At the same time, the analysis of these notes poses significant challenges for scholars. This book aims to be a concise and accessible companion for scholars interested in engaging with this young and burgeoning research field. Written by a diverse group of specialists from across Europe and the US, it explores the various technical and practical aspects involved in reading, interpreting, and editing student notes, while also demonstrating how these sources can enrich various areas of historical research. Indeed, student notes reveal that early modern lecture halls were often more dynamic, diverse, and creative than we might have expected. The many preserved collections of student notes from the early modern period – ranging from neatly maintained notebooks to barely legible scribbles crammed between lines of printed text – hold considerable but largely untapped potential as an historical source. At the same time, the analysis of these notes poses significant challenges for scholars. This book aims to be a concise and accessible companion for scholars interested in engaging with this young and burgeoning research field. Written by a diverse group of specialists from across Europe and the US, it explores the various technical and practical aspects involved in reading, interpreting, and editing student notes, while also demonstrating how these sources can enrich various areas of historical research. Indeed, student notes reveal that early modern lecture halls were often more dynamic, diverse, and creative than we might have expected. Introduction Raf Van Rooy and Maxime Maleux, on behalf of the editors Education in early modern Latin Europe: A scene from Leuven Structure of the research companion Why Leuven? Acknowledgments Notes References Part I—The Basics of Student Notes Research Chapter 1—The Making of Student Notes Ann M. Blair The survival of student notes The forms of student notes Methods of note-taking in the classroom What can and cannot be learned from student notes Notes Suggestions for further reading References Chapter 2—Getting a First Grasp of Student Notes Raf Van Rooy and Xander Feys Introduction Referentiality, fragmentariness, and provenance Paleography Drawing up a typology for student notes 4.1. Form 4.2. Structure 4.3. Contents Conclusion Exercise Notes References Transcription and model solution Chapter 3—The Materiality of the Student Notebook Jarrik Van Der Biest Introduction From paper mill to preservation Analysis 3.1. Quire structure 3.2. Distribution of watermarks 3.3. Dates 3.4. Textual divisions, codicological blocks Notes Thematic bibliography Chapter 4—Book History: The Basics with Two Case Studies Natasha Constantinidou, Dieter Cammaerts, and Violet Soen Introduction An increasingly interdisciplinary field Production and distribution of printed books From production to consumption: An inquiry into material objects Analyzing printed text editions: Aspects of book history in practice Conclusions Notes Thematic bibliography Chapter 5—How to Make Student Notes Accessible Raf Van Rooy Introduction Choose wisely from the start 2.1. Diplomatic and semi-diplomatic transcription 2.2. XML 2.3. The act of transcribing: Benefits and tools 2.4. Good practices Conclusion Notes References Student Notes Toolkit Part II—The Potential of Student Notes Research Chapter 6—History of Education Daniel Gehrt and Michael Stolberg Introduction The diversity and flexibility of basic academic education Training for professional practice: Medical students’ notebooks Conclusion Notes References Chapter 7—Intellectual History Lorenz Demey, Marc Laureys, Maxime Maleux, and Andy Peetermans Introduction Revolutionary rhetoric versus didactic continuity: Juvenal in Bologna Official policies versus didactic non-conformism: The university of Leuven and the Wegestreit Textbook canonicity versus didactic creativity 4.1. Aristotelian diagrams beyond the square of opposition 4.2. Hebrew in Leuven and Paris Conclusion Notes References Chapter 8—Book History Xander Feys and Raf Van Rooy Introduction Book circulation Interleaving for intermezzi Student practices in handling books and their flaws Pedagogic pragmatism Conclusion Notes References Chapter 9—Visual History Alicja Bielak and Gwendoline de Mûelenaere Introduction Visual elements in notebooks 2.1. Heterogeneous visual languages 2.2. Diagrams 2.3. The materiality of the image Classification of images in student notebooks 3.1. Traditional university iconography 3.2. Scientific drawings and engravings 3.3. Symbolic language Emblems as didactic and mnemonic devices 4.1. Scientific emblemata 4.2. Recuperation of emblematic devices 4.3. Emblems as memory aids Conclusion Notes References Chapter 10—History of Orality Tomás Antonio Valle and Raf Van Rooy Introduction Conversational culture at Wittenberg university c. 1550 The oral/aural challenges of teaching and learning Conclusion Notes References Further reading Chapter 11—Socio-Cultural History Maximilian Schuh, Xander Feys, and Raf Van Rooy Introduction Case study 1: The arts faculties at Uppsala and Ingolstadt 2.1. Uppsala 2.2. Ingolstadt Case study 2: Triangular teaching in Milan in about 1465 Case study 3: Aeneid 12 and the Turkish threat Conclusion Notes References Multilingual Glossary