Skip to main content
Focus-section: Early Career Digital Legal Historians: dare, test and surprise

Testing New Methodologies and Approaches in Legal History Research


Abstract

This paper explores the integration of digital tools in the field of legal history research, focusing on the Zettelkasten method and the Obsidian software for analyzing historical legal biographies. The research centers on the jurist Almachio Diniz, using hemerographic sources from Brazil’s National Library to reconstruct his life and work. By adopting the Zettelkasten method, originally systematized by Niklas Luhmann, the research leverages interconnected notes and smart note-taking techniques. The Obsidian software enhances the organization and analysis of vast documentary sources, revealing new patterns and relationships within historical data. The study highlights the importance of digital humanities in reshaping legal historiography and emphasizes the need to incorporate these methodologies into academic curricula to better prepare future jurists for contemporary challenges in legal research.

Keywords: Digital Humanities, Digital Legal History, Zettelkasten Method, Obsidian Software, Almachio Diniz Biography

How to Cite:

Gouveia, H. C. & Zanino, L. B., (2025) “ Testing New Methodologies and Approaches in Legal History Research ”, Journal for Digital Legal History 4(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/dlh.90453

Downloads:

Downloads are not available for this article.

Funding

Name
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia
FundRef ID
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100006181
Name
Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz
FundRef ID
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100020648
Funding ID
073.6768.2024.0004656-92

383 Views

Published on
2025-11-12

Peer Reviewed