Hello folks,
Can I harness that 'Friday feeling' creativity to looking through and
comment on the existing list of ideas for new 'Information Schemes' in MIDAS
2 (below)? Info schemes are general subject areas which contain a range of
recommendations, key issues for consideration and a list of recommended and
additional 'Units of Information' - basic ideas that need to be recorded.
Comments are welcome on: whether you see the need for these, what is
missing, what priority you would give them etc. The list below is
provisional, and is presented simply to show you current thinking. This is
not the only chance you will have to comment, but comments now will help
firm up the plans for review / development. There will come a point in the
next six months when this has to be fixed and specified. Current plan is
that work would be undertaken in May 2004 - May 2005, unless noted
otherwise.
If you would like to comment on one of the following items in particular,
can I ask you to take the 'MIDAS -...' line and copy it into the Subject
line of your email - this will make it easier to keep track.
A - Revisions to existing Info schemes:-
MIDAS - Location Information scheme review
Needs a lot of attention - e.g. administrative areas and proper treatment of
GPS derived data. A 'GIS Depictions' Information Scheme is in preparation,
with a provisional date for peer review in December 2003 / January 2004.
MIDAS - Resources information scheme review
Bibliography, Documentary Archive and Objects broadened in scope to cover a
wider range of resources, metadata for different resource types etc.
Integration of object records (e.g. recorded under existing mda SPECTRUM
standard) with existing MIDAS Information schemes.
MIDAS - Water and Aircraft annexe
Additions to various Info schemes to improve recording of these specialist
monument types. Already in peer review stage, this annexe will eventually be
merged with the text of a 2nd edition.
B - New Info Schemes
MIDAS - Access and Amenity
Covering 'members handbook' type information - Directions, facilities,
opening hours, admission charges, site presentation, educational use etc.
Adapt Tourist Authority standard if one exists.
MIDAS - Historic Landscapes
Regarded as key by developing HERs, covering landscape / topological type,
settlement analysis etc. Strong links to GIS based info.
MIDAS - Context / site component recording
Required for e.g. comparison of context records from different units. This
would assist e.g. research across the country into 'Roman fish bone samples
from wells' or 'Saxon glass from middens'. Already touched on by this
discussion, but more thoughts welcome, especially from representatives of
units / Centre for Archaeology etc
MIDAS - Interpretation
To allow standard recording of information drawn from multiple Monument type
records (e.g. a information resource about Roman villas in the Cotswolds) or
to allow multiple (possibly non-archaeological) interpretations of a site,
e.g. folklore associations.
MIDAS - Monument Management events
Areas such as condition checking, risk asessment, monument restoration or
consolidation activities. Of particular value to site / property owners
MIDAS - Legal entity
To facilitate recording of legally defined areas, separate to monuments etc
that may lie within or overlap them. Possibly an enhancement to the existing
Monument Management Info scheme.
Best wishes
Edmund
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