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Dear Jim, I'm interested to hear about your project. How has the deer work turned out? My postgrad students in York (Jen Harland, Steve Ashby and Rachel Gamble) and I would be very interested in your results. Are they in a citable format at this stage? As you might imagine we also have an emerging Scottish database, but one day those of us working in the area should definitely 'get it together' and put our efforts - combined or case-by-case - on line! Your work might inspire the rest of us. The front-end of our present system - a data entry tool for teaching and research developed by Jen Harland (after the EAU system initiated by Keith Dobney et al.) - will be forthcoming in Internet Archaeology & is set for release at ICAZ in August. It is always difficult to predict the appeal and uptake of something like this, but our hope is that it will facilitate the collection, archiving and analysis of large comparable datasets over the next 5-10 years for those who do choose to adopt it. It combines an integrated recording protocol (for Mammals, birds, fish, amphibians & reptiles), graphical interfaces and easy to use reports (to calculate MNEs, for example). The taxa covered assume use in Britain & Europe, but it can be customized by the user for other contexts. These discussions are all very encouraging. If we can fight off total relegation (as seems likely despite the rhetoric) the emergence of complementary digital archiving in comparable formats could transform the explanatory power of zooarchaeology. All the best, James Barrett On Wed, 15 May 2002, james morris wrote: > > > > Hello all<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> > > I agree that in an ideal world editors would not alter faunal reports, but this is far from an ideal world. I think > one of the best uses for electronic publications would be to publish large amounts of raw data. > > My own interest in electronic publication is sparked by my recently completed Msc dissertation, part of which involved > the creation of a faunal database for the isles of Scotland. It basically involved creating an access data base in > which NISP and MNI for all species present on a site, and element data for Cattle, S/G, Pig and Red Deer and butchery > and measurement data for Red Deer was entered into a number of tables. I was then able to analysis the data from all > the published faunal reports from the isles of Scotland, (needless to say them main aim of the research was to > investigate red deer). > > The database that was created was very simple and could be expanded to include more information such as butchery data > for all species. If a database, which included as much of the information mentioned above from as many sites as > possible was available on the Internet it would provide a powerful tool to zooarchaeologists. > > There are many issues that would need addressing such as intellectual copyright and quality control but I would like > to know what people think. > > Cheers Jim > > >From: Dale serjeantson > >Reply-To: [log in to unmask] > >To: [log in to unmask] > >Subject: electronic publication > >Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 12:29:02 +0100 > > > >In my view electronic publication of a report in full > >could be a useful addition to print publication, for > >two reasons. > > > >There are many cases where a report cut up and > >pasted into a volume to suit a publishing format or is just > >shortened, usually by the omission of the data on which the > >arguments are based. Electronic publication provides an > >opportunity to include any tables of data which were > >omitted by the editor and reinstate any text such as > >introductory paragraphs which were omitted in the > >publication. In an ideal world editors would not omit vital > >data, but even after about 25 years of education and > >pressure, poor editors continue to do so. > > > >The AML reports in England can fulfill this function, > >though in the past they have sometimes published before the > >final excavation report appears and so have not > >incorporated the final version of the phasing. (Perhaps > >they might be replaced by electronic publication?) > > > >The second useful role for electronic publication is for > >circulation of raw measurements and raw tooth wear records. > >This is about to happen with the huge and important > >assemblage from Eynsham Abbey, near Oxford, which is > >nearing publication. As well as hard copy, the data tables > >from this Saxon to post-medieval site will shortly be made > >available on the web by ADS. The measurements and tooth > >wear records will be available only on the web. > > > >Further, now that it has become quite easy to send files as > >attachments, I am happy to supply data files or electronic > >versions of reports to anyone who might find them useful on > >a formal or informal basis. Perhaps the ADS in York would > >be prepared to maintain a list of reports which individuals > >would be prepared to make available on request? This might > >be an interim position which acknowledges the usefulness of > >the web in circulating data, but emphatically does not > >accept that it can substitute for paper publication. > > > > > >Dale Serjeantson > >Honorary Research Fellow > >Department of Archaeology > >University of Southampton > >Southampton SO17 1BJ, uk > > > >Email:[log in to unmask] > > _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ > Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: Click Here > >