Dare I say "I agree with Nick"?!
Although I'm in Scotland I concur with the views being voiced. I wonder exactly what the point is of the majority of data entered into OASIS. I do my duty as an HER Officer and validate the OASIS records (where this fits into our workflow, which isn't often). However it frustrates me that while I enter our HER event numbers into the OASIS form (even monument numbers if I've been super efficient) nowhere do these fields appear in the grey literature library search form.
In planning terms, to discharge a condition we simply require an OASIS number so that should anyone in future decide to use the OASIS number for anything useful we have a concordance. If something is there to be validated we will validate it, otherwise the incomplete records sit there and we don't see it is our role to enforce their completion.
Sylvina
Sylvina Tilbury | HER Officer | Historic Environment Team
Planning & Development Service | Highland Council |Glenurquhart Road | Inverness | IV3 5NX
T: 01463 702503 | F: 01463 702298 |
http://her.highland.gov.uk
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-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Graham Tait
Sent: 27 September 2011 11:47
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Review of OASIS
Hi Adrian,
Nick's comments are pretty useful, and highlight the need to ensure that
data is linked, to help avoid the issues of having multiple data systems
(HERs and OASIS) that are not linked together.
It would be good to ensure that the data about Events that is held in
OASIS is linked to the data that is held about Events by HERs.
Similarly, that Sources recording by OASIS (and are then available in
the ADS Grey Literature Library) could be linked to Sources in HERs.
This may be as simple as ensuring that (at some point in the OASIS
process), the HER Event ID and HER Source ID can be linked to the
relevant OASIS ID and/or the ADS Grey Literature Library ID.
Anyway, just my two-pennies-worth...
Graham
--
Graham Tait
Archaeologist
Historic Environment Service
Devon County Council
Matford Offices
County Hall
Topsham Road
Exeter
EX2 4QW
Telephone: 01392 382214
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://www.devon.gov.uk/historicenvironment
Disclaimer: http://www.devon.gov.uk/email
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nick Boldrini
Sent: 27 September 2011 11:15
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [HERFORUM] Review of OASIS
Hi Adrian
To answer your questions:
- How does OASIS currently fit with your current work processes? - it
doesn't really, except for being on my "to do" list as a not very high
priority. Its something I will probably get volunteers to sort out at
some point in the future - ie catching up on our validation backlog.
- In what ways does OASIS contribute to improved standards and
consistency of event recording - I am not sure it does for HER's, though
I assume it helps the NMR. It records things we don't and also seems to
conflate Heritage Assets, Events and Source information into one record,
which doesn't seem in line with MIDAS. However, as it is not entirely
clear to me what happens to the data once it is signed off (it vanishes
from OASIS, but I am not clear where it appears in the NMR) then that
may not be an issue.
- In what ways does OASIS contribute to efficiency of information flows?
- Again, for HER's I don't think it does. If you are recording Event
information in the HER, then it is a duplicate data entry system which
is not linked to the HER, is entered by different people and therefore
there are discrepancies between them, leading to potential confusion by
users. As the OASIS data is for someone elses system, theres not a huge
incentive for HER's to spend time validating and editing the records -
if my Event records are ok, OASIS is an SEP. Often, by the time records
are on OASIS, we already have them in the HER, so there is no time
saving for us if we downloaded them, just another task (validating them)
for no appreciable gain (except a broadly generic one of sharing
information) - hence its low priority.
- What are the specific issues and challenges? What should be the
priorities and why? - The answer to the next few questions all very much
depend on what the purpose of OASIS is. My understanding of it was that
it is/was meant to be THE way for the NMR to gather information. Yet AIP
is still continuing, and the Geophysics database is still separate I
believe, so whats that about? I also understood it was meant to be a way
of giving access to Grey Literature, but figures suggest this is only
happening for some of the records, and there are also "competing" or
parallel systems in operation (eg ADS, Heritage Gateway, individual
HER's). If you are doing research you don't want to search different
systems to find that most of the records are the same, but at the moment
that is what I tell people to do, as there is also a chance that the
different systems might have additional records.. So what is it for?
Once you have that defined, then the issues and challenges should define
themselves. One specific issue though, is to try and get this adopted as
a sectorial solution to whatever the problem is. At the moment not all
HER's have signed up, of those that have, not all are validating, so the
system is not being supported to its full potential. There are many
reasons for this, but working out what they are and then overcoming them
will be a significant issue. Another issue is to develop data
compatibility/export functionality for Non-HBSMR using HER's. Another
question to ask - why does the NMR need to update the Excavation Index
at all, when this is largely duplicating what HER's do?
- What improvements could be made to the OASIS form and why? - Allow
HER's to populate it with their Event data is one possibility, so then
there is more involvement, less duplication of data entry and less work
for Contractors to do, which might improve work flows.
- Should OASIS be expanded to incorporate a wider range of heritage
assets and event types? If so, what? Again, depends on what the point of
OASIS is. The more it incorporates, though, the more this looks like a
duplicate parallel system to HER's - and why is that needed?
- What wider range of heritage assets and event types should an expanded
OASIS incorporate? - see above
- What other opportunities are there to improve or enhance OASIS? -
quite a few. I am greatly in favour of data sharing, and streamlined
working ie capture data once, use many times. OASIS currently isn't
doing that though. What is needed is a strategic assessment of what it
is intended to achieve, and then see if it is still the best way to
achieve it.
I also sent comments to a meeting about HERALD a while back giving some
more thoughts about OASIS, if you don't have a copy of that, I can
re-send them off list.
best wishes
Nick Boldrini
Historic Environment Record Officer
Durham County Council
Tel: 0191 3708840
Fax: 0191 3708897
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Adrian Smith
Sent: 26 September 2011 15:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Review of OASIS
Dear Forum members
Our organisation, Pye Tait Consulting, has been contracted by English
Heritage to carry out an independent review of the OASIS system,
including the preparation of an updated strategy in line with Heritage
Protection Reform. The final report will be used to help inform future
developments of OASIS.
We are currently conducting telephone interviews with a sample of HER
representatives, contractors and other users of OASIS. To broaden the
opportunity for other HERs to prodvie their input, we would like to
invite you to share your views and discuss OASIS here on this forum.
Your feedback will be invaluable to enriching the research and all views
shared on this thread will be treated anonymously as part of our
analysis and reporting.
We've posed some questions below as a 'starter for ten' but would be
interested in any views you have.
Thank you very much.
Adrian Smith (Pye Tait)
- How does OASIS currently fit with your current work processes?
- In what ways does OASIS contribute to improved standards and
consistency of event recording,
- In what ways does OASIS contribute to efficiency of information flows?
- What are the specific issues and challenges? What should be the
priorities and why?
- What improvements could be made to the OASIS form and why?
- Should OASIS be expanded to incorporate a wider range of heritage
assets and event types? If so, what?
- What wider range of heritage assets and event types should an expanded
OASIS incorporate?
- What other opportunities are there to improve or enhance OASIS?
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