1. To know the theoretical and epistemological fundamentals of the discipline, their evolution and current trends. 2. To know, understand and use the basic concepts and terminology in the field. 3. To know the evolution of the information technology and media, according to the historical conditionings. 4. To understand that books and documents are social products that cannot be separated from their production, circulation and use contexts, learning to analyze them from this historiographical perspective. 5. To develop the ability of evaluation and interpretation of historical images and texts. 6. To discover, in the context of the history of the document, the relationships between past and present processes, detecting continuities and changes, and establishing the subsequent conclusions. 7. To develop basic skills as follow: discursive and argumentative ability; synthetic and analytic ability; critical attitude and reasoning.

The goal of this course is to analyze the historical evolution of books and documents, on the basis of the necessity of contextualizing this analysis in order to understand and explain the characteristics, typologies, contents, functions and appropriations of documents in each historical moment. To achieve this goal the following contents are proposed: 1. The concept of History of the Document. Evolution of the discipline. Historiographical debates and trends. 2. Oral communication and written communication. The advent of writing. Systems of writing and evolution. 3. Books, documents and readers in History: from the manuscript culture to the digital culture: 3.1. Civilizations in the Near East: Mesopotamia and Egypt. 3.2. Oral and written culture in Greece 3.3. Literacy and book trade in Rome 3.4. Early Middle Ages: a conservative culture 3.5. The renewal of the Late Middle Ages 3.6. Advent and diffusion of the printing press 3.7. The old book: concept, formal and material characteristics, legislation and censorship 3.8. Continuity and changes in the written culture (from the 16th century to the 18th century) 3.9. Industrial and postindustrial society: from the printed book to the hypertext, the conquest of the alphabet: popular classes and writings. The revolution of the communications and the information society: the electronic book and the digital reading.

Acquisition of theoretical and practical knowledge (4 ECTS), through: A. Theoretical sessions and materials in the platform. Related to the acquisition of skills 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. B. Personal tracking of the student, on the basis of the learning materials provided by the teacher, specialized readings and recommended bibliography. Related, in general, to the acquisition of all the skills in the course. C. Practical activities on texts, documents and images. Related specially to the acqusitions of skills 3, 4 and 5. Acquisition of skills (2 ECTS), through: D. Individual and team assessment: Related to the acquisition of all the skills of the course E. Oral presentations, debates and forums. Related in general to all the skills of the course; and specially to skill number 7 (basic skills: discursive and argumentative ability; synthetic and analytic ability; critical attitude and reasoning)