Christine of Pizan writing at her desk. BnF, français 603, f. 81v

Unknown Hands — User Guide

Welcome to Unknown Hands! This guide will help you explore and analyze our database of pre-modern female scribal production. Whether you’re a researcher, student, or simply curious about medieval manuscripts, this manual will show you how to get the most out of our interactive platform.

Table of Contents

  1. Getting Started
  2. Browse & Search
  3. Analytics Tools
  4. Map Visualizations
  5. Codicological Analysis
  6. Hierarchical Tree Explorer
  7. Network Explorer
  8. Multilingualism Analysis
  9. Colophon Analysis
  10. IIIF Viewer & Mirador
  11. Search Transcriptions
  12. Tips & Tricks
  13. FAQ

1. Getting Started

What is Unknown Hands?

Unknown Hands is a digital research platform documenting the work of female scribes who created manuscripts before 1600. Our database includes:

  1. Scribal Units (SU) — The core unit of analysis in the database. A specific manuscript section written by a scribe.
  2. Manuscripts (MS) — Physical codices (books) at least partially written by or associated with women.
  3. Production Units (PU) — Manufacturing contexts of specific manuscript sections(where/when/how manuscripts were made)
  4. Holding Institutions (HI) — Libraries and archives holding these manuscripts
  5. Monastic Institutions (MI) — Historical production locations (monasteries, convents)
  6. Historical People (HP) — Scribes, patrons, owners
  7. Texts (TX) — Literary works contained in manuscripts

Main Navigation Bar (top of page):

2. Browse & Search

Accessing Browse Mode

  1. Click “Explore Database” in the main navigation
  2. The default view is Browse & Search
  3. You’ll see three panels:
    • Left: Filters (facets)
    • Center: Record list
    • Right: Detail view (when you select a record)

Switching Record Types

Entity Switcher (top left):

Using Filters (Facets)

Filters appear on the left side and change based on record type.

Filter Types:

How to Apply Filters:

  1. Select or enter filter values
  2. Results update automatically
  3. Click “Clear all filters” to reset

Searching Records

Search Box (top center):

Full-Text Search:

  1. Type your query in the search box
  2. Press Enter or wait for auto-search
  3. Searches across all fields

Field-Specific Search:

  1. Select a field from the dropdown next to search box
  2. Options: Title, Date, Manuscript, Holding Institution, Place, Comments
  3. Type query and search

Search Tips:

Sorting Results

Sort Dropdown (top center):

Viewing Record Details

Click any record in the center panel:

Related Records:

Exporting Data

Export Button (top right):

  1. Apply filters/search to get desired records
  2. Click “Export CSV”
  3. Choose the fields to include
  4. Downloads spreadsheet with visible results
  5. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets, etc. to use for your own analysis

Searching by Relationships

The database includes relationship data that connects entities and provides rich contextual metadata:

What Are Relationships?

How Relationships Display:

In the Detail View (Right Panel): When you click a record, relationships appear at the bottom of the detail panel:

In the Filters (Left Panel): Some entity types have relationship-based filters that pull values from connected records:

These filters allow you to search based on metadata stored in the relationships themselves, not just the entity’s direct fields.

How to Use Relationships:

1. Browse Related Entities:

2. Filter by Relationship Metadata:

3. Full-Text Search Includes Relationships:

4. Visual Exploration:

Example Workflow:

  1. Search for “Latin” in Scribal Units
  2. Results include units where Latin appears in text language (from relationships)
  3. Click a result to see detail view
  4. Expand relationship details (▶ button) to see full metadata
  5. Click linked manuscript name to navigate to that record
  6. See all other Scribal Units in that manuscript
  7. Switch to Network view to visualize the full relationship network

Pagination

Bottom of record list:

3. Analytics Tools

Accessing Analytics Mode

  1. In Explore Database, click Analytics tab (top navigation)
  2. View loads showing the Statistical Dashboard

Statistical Dashboard

Purpose:

Features:

Use Cases:

4. Map Visualizations

Accessing Map Mode

  1. In Explore Database, click Map tab (top navigation)
  2. Map loads showing manuscript locations

Changing Map Views

Map View Selector (top of map):

6 Different Views:

  1. Manuscripts - Current Location (Holdings)
    • Where manuscripts are held today
    • Shows holding institutions
    • Use to find MSS near you
  2. Manuscripts - Production Location
    • Where manuscripts were created
    • Historical geography
    • See production centers
  3. Manuscripts - Movement (Production → Current)
    • Visualizes manuscript movement from production location to current holding
    • Shows historical migration patterns and helps understand manuscript circulation and collection history
    • Arrows connect origin to current location
  4. Production Units - All Locations
    • All Production Unit geographic data
  5. Production Units - By Monastery
    • Groups PUs by monastic institution
    • See which monasteries were productive
  6. Monastic Institutions
    • All monasteries and convents
    • Historical religious centers

Using the Map

Markers:

Interactions:

Exporting Maps

Export as Image:

  1. Click “Export PNG” button (top right of map)
  2. High-resolution PNG image downloads
  3. Use in presentations, publications, or reports

5. Codicological Analysis (Not currently available)

6. Hierarchical Tree Explorer

Accessing Hierarchical Tree Mode

  1. In Explore Database, click Hierarchical Tree tab (top navigation)
  2. Interactive tree visualization loads

What is the Hierarchical Tree?

Explore the complete structural hierarchy of manuscripts, showing relationships between:

This visualization reveals the complex internal structure of medieval manuscripts and how scribes collaborated.

Searching Manuscripts

Search Bar:

  1. Type manuscript title, shelfmark, or ID
  2. Results highlight matching manuscripts in the tree
  3. Click “Clear” to reset search

Filtering by Structure

Filter by Structure Panel:

Check boxes to show only manuscripts with specific characteristics:

Use Cases:

Sorting Options

Sort by:

Exporting

Export as Image:

7. Network Explorer

Accessing Network Mode

  1. Click Network tab
  2. Network graph loads (may take a moment for large datasets)

Understanding the Network

What You See:

Relationship Types:

Interacting with the Network

Navigation:

Exploring Connections:

  1. Click a node — Highlights that record and its immediate connections, opens a pop-up with details and a link to view full records in Browse mode.
  2. Relationship labels — Hover over lines to see relationship type

Filtering:

Use Cases

Finding Related Records:

Identifying Hubs:

Pattern Discovery:

Exporting Network Visualizations

Export Options:

Click the appropriate export button to download your current network view.

8. Multilingualism Analysis

Accessing Multilingualism Mode

  1. In Explore Database, click Multilingualism tab (top navigation)
  2. View loads showing the Multilingualism Explorer

What is Multilingualism Analysis?

Explore language patterns and linguistic diversity across manuscripts, scribal units, and institutions. Examine how scribes worked with multiple languages and when they code-switched between languages in colophons versus texts.

Five Analysis Tabs

1. Overview Tab

Purpose: Get a quick snapshot of linguistic diversity

Features:

Use this to: Understand the overall linguistic composition of the collection

2. Multilingual Manuscripts Tab

Purpose: Find and analyze manuscripts containing multiple languages

Features:

Use this to:

3. Scribal Multilingualism Tab

Purpose: Examine language use at the scribal unit level

Key Distinction:

Features:

Use this to:

4. Institutional Multilingualism Tab

Purpose: Analyze linguistic diversity by monastery/convent

Features:

Use this to:

5. Colophon-Text Divergence Tab

Purpose: Specialized analysis of language code-switching

What It Shows:

Features:

Use this to:

Example Research Questions

9. Colophon Analysis

Accessing Colophon Analysis Mode

  1. In Explore Database, click Colophon Analysis tab (top navigation)
  2. View loads showing the Colophon Analysis interface

What is a Colophon?

A colophon is a note written by the scribe, typically at the end of a manuscript section, providing information about:

Colophons are invaluable for understanding medieval scribal culture and self-expression.

Seven Analysis Tabs

1. Overview Tab

Purpose: Understand overall colophon prevalence patterns

Statistics Provided:

Geographic & Temporal Distribution:

Key Insights:

Use this to: Get a quantitative overview of colophon presence across the corpus

2. Sentiment Analysis Tab

Purpose: Detect emotional tone and attitudes in colophons

Six Sentiment Categories:

Features:

Use this to:

3. Thematic Analysis Tab

Purpose: Identify major topics and themes in colophons

Eight Major Themes:

  1. Religious Devotion — References to God, prayers, blessings
  2. Scribal Identity — Name, role, self-description
  3. Labor & Completion — Work process, finishing statements
  4. Temporal Markers — Dates, times, feast days
  5. Institutional Context — Monastery, scriptorium mentions
  6. Dedication & Patronage — Patrons, recipients, gifts
  7. Personal Expression — Emotions, thoughts, experiences
  8. Mistakes & Corrections — Apologies, error acknowledgments

Features:

Use this to:

4. Linguistic Features Tab

Purpose: Analyze colophon length, complexity, and style

Analyses Provided:

Word Count Analysis:

Sentence Complexity:

First-Person Usage:

Questions & Exclamations:

Use this to:

5. Comparative Patterns Tab

Purpose: Compare colophon characteristics across regions and centuries

By Region:

By Century:

Trends Over Time Table:

Use this to:

6. Browse Colophons Tab

Purpose: Read, search, and filter colophons in detail

Filterable Colophon Viewer:

Display Features:

Results:

Use this to:

Example Research Questions

Export Features

7. 📖 Explore Formulae Tab

Purpose: Discover and analyze standardized formulaic patterns in colophons across languages and regions

Accessing:

What are Colophon Formulae?

Standardized phrases, expressions, and linguistic patterns that scribes commonly used in their colophons. These recurring formulas reveal:

Formulae can be complete phrases (“Qui scripsit scribat semper cum Domino vivat”) or shorter fragments (“anno domini”, “finito libro”).

Overview Statistics:

The interface displays three key metrics:

Filter Options:

1a. Select Language

1b. OR Select Country

2. Select Specific Formula (optional)

3. Filter by Type

Formula Display:

Each formula card shows:

Viewing Matching Examples:

Expand Formula Cards:

Pagination:

Global Formula Distribution Map:

Expand to see:

Example Formulas by Language:

Latin Formulas:

Dutch Formulas:

German Formulas:

Italian Formulas:

Other Languages:

Use Cases and Research Questions:

Formula Distribution:

Temporal Patterns:

Linguistic Analysis:

Cultural Transmission:

Gender-Specific Formulas:

Tips for Using Explore Formulae:

  1. Start broad by viewing all formulas to understand the full scope
  2. Filter strategically using language or country filters to focus on specific traditions
  3. Compare variants to notice how the same formula appears with different spellings
  4. Always expand formula cards to see real examples in context
  5. Use the “View Scribal Unit” button to explore full records and related data
  6. Track patterns by noting which formulas appear in multiple countries or time periods
  7. Consider zero matches as indicators of patterns not yet found in the corpus

Formula Search Technology:

Export Features

10. IIIF Viewer & Mirador

What is the IIIF Viewer?

View high-resolution manuscript images with synchronized transcriptions. Uses Mirador 3, a powerful IIIF viewer.

Accessing the Viewer

Two ways:

  1. Direct navigation:
    • Click “Viewer” in main navigation
    • Select manuscript from dropdown
  2. From database:
    • Browse manuscripts
    • Click manuscript record with images
    • Click “Open in Mirador (new tab)” button

Viewer Interface

Main Components:

  1. Image Panel (left/center)
    • High-resolution manuscript images
    • Deep zoom capability
  2. Transcription Panel (right)
    • Line-by-line transcriptions
    • Synchronized with images
  3. Controls (top)
    • Manuscript selector
    • Page navigation
    • Zoom controls
    • Layout options

Viewing Images

Navigation:

Image Quality:

Reading Transcriptions

Transcription Display:

Synchronization:

Features:

Advanced Features

Comparing Pages:

Annotation Layers:

Download:

11. Search Transcriptions

Click “Search Transcriptions” in main navigation

How It Works

Full-Text Search:

  1. Type query in search box
  2. Press Enter or click search button
  3. Results appear below

Search Features:

Understanding Results

Each result shows:

Result actions:

Comparing Transcriptions

Side-by-Side Comparison Feature:

The transcription search includes a comparison tool for analyzing multiple results together.

How to Use:

  1. Select Results:
    • Each search result has a checkbox in the top-right corner
    • Check 2 or more results you want to compare
    • Selection count updates in real-time (e.g., “3 selected”)
  2. Compare:
    • Click “Compare Selected” button (enabled when 2+ selected)
    • Modal window opens showing all selected results side-by-side
    • Each result displays:
      • Manuscript title
      • Page number
      • Full transcription line
      • Context lines (if “Show context” was enabled before searching)
  3. Analyze:
    • Scroll through the grid to examine differences
    • Results displayed in responsive columns
    • Easy comparison of spelling, abbreviations, and text variations
  4. Clear Selection:
    • Click “Clear Selection” to uncheck all and start over
    • Click “Close” in modal to return to results

Best Practices:

Example Workflow:

1. Search: "dieu" with "Show context" enabled
2. Enable "Group by manuscript"
3. Select one result from 3-4 different manuscripts
4. Click "Compare Selected"
5. Analyze differences in context and spelling
6. Take notes or screenshots
7. Clear selection and search for another term

Exporting Search Results

Export Options:

12. Tips & Tricks

Power User Techniques

Research Workflows

Finding Manuscripts to Study:

  1. Filter by location (Holding Institution)
  2. Filter by digitization status (IIIF available)
  3. Export list for research trip planning

Comparative Analysis:

  1. Filter to specific date range (e.g., 1400-1450)
  2. Filter to specific region (e.g., Italy)
  3. Run multiple analytics to characterize corpus
  4. Export data for publication

Following Relationships:

  1. Find a scribe (Historical Person)
  2. Click to see their Scribal Units
  3. From Scribal Unit, see Production Units
  4. From Production Unit, see Manuscripts
  5. From Manuscript, see Holding Institution
  6. Plan to view manuscripts in person

Keyboard Shortcuts

In Viewer:

In Database:

Mobile Use

Exporting Data and Visualizations

The platform provides multiple export options for data and visualizations suitable for research, presentations, and publications.

CSV Data Export

Browse Mode:

What’s Included:

Use Cases:

High-Resolution Image Export

Publication-Quality Exports: All visualizations support high-resolution export at ~300 DPI minimum, suitable for academic publications and presentations.

Available Formats:

Export by Tab:

  1. Map Visualizations:
    • Click “Export PNG” button
    • Captures entire map with all markers and layers
    • Filename: unknownhands-map-{timestamp}.png
    • Resolution: 3x scale (~300 DPI)
  2. Analytics Dashboard:
    • Click “Export as Image” button
    • Captures current statistical visualization
    • Filename: unknownhands-analytics-{timestamp}.png
    • Resolution: 3x scale (~300 DPI)
  3. Hierarchical Tree:
    • Click “Export as Image” button
    • Captures full tree structure
    • Filename: unknownhands-tree-{timestamp}.png
    • Resolution: 3x scale (~300 DPI)
  4. Network Visualization:
    • SVG export: Click “Export SVG” (vector format, infinitely scalable)
    • PNG export: Click “Export PNG” (raster format, 300 DPI)
    • Filename: unknownhands-network-{timestamp}.{svg|png}
    • Additional: Data export dropdown for Gephi or R formats

Tips for Best Quality:

Text Export

Colophon Transcriptions and translations:

Transcription Search Results:

Technical Details:

13. Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Q: Is the data complete? A: The database is continuously growing. We’re adding manuscripts and transcriptions regularly. Current counts shown on homepage.

Q: Can I download the entire database? A: Yes, in Browse mode, with no filters, click “Export CSV” to download all records of current entity type. Repeat for each type.

Q: How do I cite the Unknown Hands database? A: See the Credits page for citation information.

Q: Who created the data? A: Project team led by Estelle Guéville. See Team page.

Data Questions

Q: Why do some manuscripts not have images? A: Not all manuscripts have been digitized. We link to IIIF manifests when available. Check “Digitization Status” and “IIIF status”fields.

Q: What is a “Production Unit”? A: A Production Unit represents the context of manuscript creation: where, when, how, with what materials. One Manuscript can have multiple Production Units if created in stages.

Q: What is a “Scribal Unit”? A: A Scribal Unit is the work of one scribe on a specific portion of a manuscript. Represents the core evidence of scribal activity.

Q: How are dates formatted? A: Dates use terminus post quem (earliest possible) and terminus ante quem (latest possible). Many manuscripts can only be dated to a range (e.g., 1300-1350).

Q: What does “normalized” mean? A: Normalized fields have standardized values for analysis. Example: “Normalized script” uses controlled vocabulary, while original descriptions may vary.

Technical Questions

Q: Which browsers are supported? A: Modern browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge. Latest versions recommended.

Q: Why is the map/timeline loading slowly? A: Large datasets take time. Try filtering to a subset. Clear browser cache if persistent.

Q: Can I use the data in my research? A: Yes! Data is open access. Please cite appropriately. See license information on Credits page.

Q: How do I report an error? A: Contact project team (see Contact page).

Q: Is there an API? A: Currently, data is available via CSV export and JSON files. We’re exploring API options for future releases.

Feature Questions

Q: Can I save my analyses? A: Currently, you can export results as CSV and visualizations as high-quality images. Saved analysis workspaces are planned for future release.

Q: Can I upload my own manuscripts? A: Not directly through the website. Contact the team if you have data to contribute (Contact).

Q: Will there be more analysis types? A: Yes! We’re continuously developing new analytical tools based on user feedback.

Q: What is sentiment analysis in colophons? A: Our sentiment analysis uses keyword matching to detect emotional tones in colophon texts. It identifies 6 categories (humility, pride, labor, religious, temporal, dedication) and shows which keywords were matched for transparency.

Q: How accurate is the colophon sentiment analysis? A: The analysis is keyword-based and designed for exploratory research. It identifies potential emotional content but should be verified by reading the full colophon text. All matched keywords are displayed for transparency.

Q: What does 📝 and 📖 mean in the Multilingualism module? A: 📝 indicates colophon language (the language of the scribe’s note), while 📖 indicates text language (the language of the main content being copied). This distinction helps identify code-switching.

Q: How do I export a visualization for my publication? A: Click the “Export” button on any visualization. It will download as a high-quality PNG (300 DPI) suitable for publication. Available for maps, timelines, networks, and all analytics charts. Please cite appropriately.

Q: Can I see the raw colophon text? A: Yes! Use the Colophon Analysis module’s “Browse Colophons” tab. Each colophon shows both the original transcription and English translation, with copy-to-clipboard buttons for citation.

Q: Why do some colophons show as “Least Expressive”? A: These are colophons with minimal emotional language, typically containing only factual information (names, dates, places). They represent a more neutral scribal voice compared to emotionally expressive colophons.

Need More Help?

Resources

Tutorials

Acknowledgments

This platform is the result of collaboration between medievalists, digital humanists, librarians, and software developers. Thank you for exploring the Unknown Hands database!

Unknown Hands User Guide v2.0
Last updated: December 2025
Estelle Guéville, Yale University