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DEFINING AND CONTEXTUALIZING AMERICAN MODERN HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY EDITING: AN ANALYSIS OF EARLY MODERN EDITORIAL THEORY, METHODS, AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTARY EDITIONS, 1943-1970

Riter, Robert Barnet (2011) DEFINING AND CONTEXTUALIZING AMERICAN MODERN HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY EDITING: AN ANALYSIS OF EARLY MODERN EDITORIAL THEORY, METHODS, AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTARY EDITIONS, 1943-1970. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

The practice of documentary editing is concerned with the publication of editions of letters, diaries, public papers, and other forms of documentary evidence. The materials contained within these editions are intended to function as historical and cultural evidence. In this role, documentary publications operate as surrogates for original sources. However, though these published reproductions are intended to function in the same way as the originating source, documentary editions are unique objects in their own right. Editors of these works make choices regarding the selection, presentation, and publication of the documentation. These choices determine the scope of these published collections, their physical form, and the reliability and authenticity of the materials that they contain. The choices that editors make have their basis in editorial theory and editorial method. Editorial theory consists of the ideas, attitudes, and beliefs that influence the procedures for editing texts. Editorial methods, guided by editorial theory, are the frameworks developed by editors, that when applied, determine how documents are edited, and the editions produced. Theory and method are the supporting elements of the practice of documentary editing. Though the practice of documentary editing within the United States dates to the 18th century, the foundations of the modern editing that defines current scholarship, can only trace its origins to the publication of Volume I. of Julian P. Boyd's The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, a project articulated in 1943. This dissertation is an examination of these foundations. The period 1943 -1970 represents a formative period of modern historical documentary editing, which can best be defined as the early modern period of historical documentary editing. During this period, documentary editors were involved in the development of new approaches for creating documentary editions, were active the refinement and re-articulation of previous methods, and redefined the role and function of documentary editions. Through an examination of editorial thought and practice, published documentary editions, and editorial contexts, this study documents the currents of editorial thought that were present during the early modern period of editing and defines the nature of their influence on the process of documentary editing, and the creation documentary editions.


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Details

Item Type: University of Pittsburgh ETD
Status: Unpublished
Creators/Authors:
CreatorsEmailPitt UsernameORCID
Riter, Robert Barnetrbriter@slis.ua.edu
ETD Committee:
TitleMemberEmail AddressPitt UsernameORCID
Committee ChairCox, Richard Jrcox@sis.pitt.eduRJCOX
Committee MemberCallery, Bernadette Gbcallery@sis.pitt.edu
Committee MemberBowker, Geoffrey Cgbowker@sis.pitt.edu
Committee MemberZboray, Ronald Jzboray@pitt.eduZBORAY
Date: 8 July 2011
Date Type: Completion
Defense Date: 2 May 2011
Approval Date: 8 July 2011
Submission Date: 6 July 2011
Access Restriction: No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately.
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs: School of Information Sciences > Library and Information Science
Degree: PhD - Doctor of Philosophy
Thesis Type: Doctoral Dissertation
Refereed: Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords: collections & collecting; original sources; scholarly publishing; archival history; documentary editing
Other ID: http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-07062011-035305/, etd-07062011-035305
Date Deposited: 10 Nov 2011 19:50
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2016 13:45
URI: http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8285

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