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We do have a discussion group in Ireland, which comprises the roughly 6 or so archaeobotanists in Ireland-other environmental specialists are invited to attend also. However, it's not a mentoring group. Nikolah On 3 December 2013 14:36, Pelling, Ruth < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > Dear all > > I think some sort of mentoring is really good idea and something I've long > wanted to do - but time is the critical factor! The mostly English based > archaeobtany working group (administered through English Heritage) can go > some way towards this for British based specialists. I'm not sure if there > is an equivalent working group in Ireland (and obviously Ireland is outside > my area of influence as an EH employee). I'm intending to focus a bit more > on the archaeobotany working group over the next few months and > perhaps increase the discussion forum side of things. We need to meet more > regularly (twice a year would be good) to get the momentum going but then > we can look at mentoring in a more formalised way. It has long been an > issue. Commercial archaeobotany really is the foundation on which a lot of > research is based, yet is really suffers from a lack of joined up support, > mentoring for new specialists and continued career development. The AEA and > in the UK the IFA are potential avenues to explore, ideally with support > from academic institutions, while archaebotany working groups are vital. > > Mentoring in commercial and academic sectors presumably have rather > different roles. We need very much grass routes mentoring in the commercial > world - support with identification, building reference collections, > libraries, report writing/quality control of reports etc. Academic > mentoring will I guess involve more support for teaching, supervision, > academic writing and so on. But they are linked - as we have been > discussing. > > Best wishes > > Ruth > > ------------------------------ > *From:* The archaeobotany mailing list [mailto: > [log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *nikolah gilligan > *Sent:* 03 December 2013 14:20 > > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: Mind the gap: commercial versus research environmental > archaeology - how do we reduce it? > > Nicola, > > That's a great idea. It's difficult to be a free-lanced archaeobotanist at > the start of you career with no attachment to an institution in your > country. Could this possibly be extended to include Ireland? I also feel > that there is a gap between commercial archaeobotany and research. While > brilliant work has been done by Meriel et al (which I constantly refer to), > it's often difficult to get clients to pay beyond the most basic ID work > and so much time has to be spent on researching options to study the > material further. > > Regards, > > Nikolah > > > On 3 December 2013 14:15, Nicola Whitehouse < > [log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> Hi all, >> >> One item that has come up quite a lot in the discussions here is >> mentoring. It seems to me that setting up a mentoring scheme might be >> something useful, especially for individuals working in the commercial >> section, either done via informal networks or done via an organisation. The >> obvious organisational route might be via the AEA. I would be happy to >> raise this as an item at the next AEA committee meeting, along with Ruth if >> this was seen as a being a useful avenue. Equally, informal mentoring can >> also work well. I am sure there would be a number of academic staff who >> might be interested and willing to act in a mentoring capacity; often, its >> a case of encouraging and providing a useful sounding board - perhaps a >> critical buddy or friend. I for one would be very happy to be involved in >> mentoring. I already provide some mentoring advice for younger academic >> colleagues, where mentoring is quite widespread but it is clear that >> offering mentoring to individuals not working in the academic sector might >> be a useful avenue - as long as the areas being advised upon were mostly >> academic/research. >> >> Best wishes >> >> Nicki >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On 3 Dec 2013, at 13:00, Lisa Gray <[log in to unmask]<mailto: >> [log in to unmask]>> wrote: >> >> Grey literature problems seem to come in two forms. The first is >> specialist reports being integrated into archaeological reports so its very >> hard to get access to the original specialist report however useful the >> online databases are. The next is copyright. What right do I have to share >> reports I've written for a client? Also, now I'm freelance I'm not often >> told if anything of mine has been published so I can't direct someone to a >> publication. >> >> I've ended up making the best of freelancing and enjoy the fact that now >> I'm responsible only for myself I can fund myself to be better equipped and >> attend more workgroups, conferences and training than I could as an >> employee. This is very difficult to fund and its often debt management >> rather than using any profit but I only have myself to worry about. As a >> freelancer I've been able to add processing and digging to what I do and >> this has enhanced my archaeobotanical perspective. >> >> I really appreciated getting a travel grant to go to the archaeobotany >> workgroup in Durham last March. I also got an EH scholarship to to my >> maritime MA. Both of these were aimed at people in my situation. I'd not >> have had the time off to do my part-time MA if I was employed. I've got >> ideas from my recent MA dissertation that I'd like to get into publication >> so any advice regarding grant funding to do that would be welcome. >> >> I feel my years after my MSc at the Museum of London were my apprentice >> years and my freelance years are my journeyman years. I consider English >> Heritage to be looking over my shoulder while I work and am always trying >> to improve what I do. The commercial world is intense and there's often no >> time to stop and just get up to date with reading outside of one's current >> project, let alone keep up to date with my accounts. >> >> So, all that's stopping me get my reports onto academia.edu< >> http://academia.edu/> is copyright, funding unfunded time and, to be >> honest, confidence. I'd appreciate some mentoring, as mentioned in earlier >> emails. >> >> I'm happy to help out where I can. This is something that needs to be >> addressed. It is very easy to feel isolated. I now have a deadline to meet >> so will drop out of this conversation for now but if any of you want to >> contact me directly about anything you are welcome to do so. >> >> web:www.lisagray.co.uk<http://www.lisagray.co.uk/> >> facebook:https://www.facebook.com/lisagray.archaeobotany >> Skype: my.skype944 >> >> Freelance Archaeobotanist -16 years experience in post-excavation, sample >> processing and outreach >> >> Recent digging experience with Canterbury Archaeological Trust and Kent >> Archaeological Projects >> >> Based in South-East England >> >> Associate level membership of the Institute for Archaeologists >> PI Insured with Towergate >> MSc Bioarchaeology, MA Maritime Archaeology from UCL >> BA hons Archaeology and Environmental Studies from Lampeter >> >> >> >> >> On 3 December 2013 12:20, Denise Druce <[log in to unmask] >> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote: >> Hi all >> >> Following on from previous messages, I regularly use the English Heritage >> regional reviews and Allan Hall's and Philippa Tomlinson's Archaeobotanical >> Computer Database for information on both regional data and specific taxa. >> However, as some of the authors themselves would no doubt agree with, both >> can be/are drastically out of date. I think a database like the ABCD would >> be an extremely useful resource if the means was put in place to keep it up >> to date (am I correct in thinking Allan was making moves to do this?). As >> well as access to 'grey literature', there also needs to be a constant >> drive to get details of published information from both commercial >> organisations and research institutions into circulation. The ABCD or >> something similar, and the AEA newsletter/bibliography may be good starting >> points. Not forgetting the role of social media, it is also extremely >> useful that many researchers make their publications visible through >> discussion groups such as this one, and on Academia. >> >> I guess 'accessibilty' would go some way in addressing this 'gap', but >> bridging 'commercial' with 'research' is probably an even greater challenge. >> >> I would very much welcome any involvement with this topic should you >> require any more 'home-based' workers. Yes, thank you Liz and Wendy for >> spearheading this! >> >> All the best >> Denise >> >> p.s. I just read Otto's message-RADAR certainly sounds like a good model!! >> >> -- >> Dr D Druce >> Environmental Project Officer >> Oxford Archaeology North >> Mill 3 >> Moor Lane Mill >> Moor Lane >> Lancaster >> LA1 1QD >> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> >> >> >> >> -- >> Dr D Druce >> Environmental Project Officer >> Oxford Archaeology North >> Mill 3 >> Moor Lane Mill >> Moor Lane >> Lancaster >> LA1 1QD >> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> >> >> >> >> -- >> Dr D Druce >> Environmental Project Officer >> Oxford Archaeology North >> Mill 3 >> Moor Lane Mill >> Moor Lane >> Lancaster >> LA1 1QD >> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> >> >> >> >> -- >> Dr D Druce >> Environmental Project Officer >> Oxford Archaeology North >> Mill 3 >> Moor Lane Mill >> Moor Lane >> Lancaster >> LA1 1QD >> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> >> >> >> >> -- >> Dr D Druce >> Environmental Project Officer >> Oxford Archaeology North >> Mill 3 >> Moor Lane Mill >> Moor Lane >> Lancaster >> LA1 1QD >> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> >> >> >> >> -- >> Dr D Druce >> Environmental Project Officer >> Oxford Archaeology North >> Mill 3 >> Moor Lane Mill >> Moor Lane >> Lancaster >> LA1 1QD >> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> >> >> >> Files attached to this email may be in ISO 26300 format (OASIS Open >> Document Format). 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Whitehouse, FRES, FSA >> Associate Professor (Reader) in Physical Geography, >> School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, >> Plymouth University, >> Drake Circus, >> Plymouth, PL4 8AA >> England, UK >> >> >> President, INQUA Commission on Humans and Biosphere >> http://chrono.qub.ac.uk/habcom/ >> >> Cultivating Societies: assessing the evidence for agriculture in >> Neolithic Ireland (Heritage Council INSTAR project) >> http://www.chrono.qub.ac.uk/instar/ >> >> >> >> >> ________________________________ >> [http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/images/email_footer.gif]< >> http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/worldclass> >> >> This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for >> the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. 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