I will note having worked with the National Trust on providing said data on more than one occation, I found the approach and guidelines to digital work were very straight forward to work with.
One of the greatest problems, of course in providing the data in a useful format is that occationally the exact fileds, or indeed the formats are not specified. This was not the case with the National Trust, so providing data for them in digital format was relitively straight forward. the fact that you are furthering these guidelines will probably only make it easier in the future.
~~~~~~~~
Dr. Thomas L. Evans
MA, MPhil, MIFA
Research Fellow, Oxford Archaeology
------------------------------
The views and opinions contained within this email are not necessarily those of Oxford Archaeology.
------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rebecca Briscoe" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: 23 January 2008 00:42:00 o'clock (GMT-0800) America/Los_Angeles
Subject: RE digital data formats for the SMR
Hello all,
Although an exception to most SMRs (in that we have greater control over
the incoming material as mostly we commission it), here at the National
Trust we've also been trying to resolve the issue of digital transfer of
data in order to speed up the process of importing new work onto the
SMR. Our approach has been to revise our project briefs which specify
how the information collated by our landscape surveys is transferred
back to us. Although we are just developing this and it is not intended
to be a completely 'hands-off' approach to integrating data to the SMR,
we feel that some ideas, such as a prescriptive spreadsheet / database
giving fields to be completed and selected drop-down menus to aid MIDAS
compliancy and general consistency, may be of benefit to both our
contractors and SMR staff. I'd also like to see greater prescription in
terms of GIS file formats, although our biological survey team who
include such things in their project briefs already suggest that as many
as 70% of their contracted surveys still come back in other forms.
We'd be keen to hear from anyone who has taken or is taking a similar
approach, and how helpful you feel it has been.
Kind regards,
Rebecca Briscoe
BSc, MSc
Sites and Monuments Record Assistant
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The National Trust
Heelis, Kemble Drive, Swindon, Wilts SN2 2NA
01793 817610
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-----Original Message-----
From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Evans
Sent: 22 January 2008 19:13
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: HER for researchers
Hi Nick,
I can only imagine the difficulties that everyone is facing in this
process, and I am sure it only begins with the points you outlined. I
did this myself for only 80 sites in France some years back, and the
memory of it still haunts my darkest dreams. Doing it for a whole
county.... yikes!
So, I guess my question is, since more and more sites are being recorded
directly to a digital format from the excavation stage forward, what can
be done by people in the field to help insure that they are saved in a
format that will allow HERs to import them directly? If done properly
(ha ha ha), this could cut out the need for person hours to be spent at
the HER level.
Or am I just being idealistic again?
~~~~~~~~
Dr. Thomas L. Evans
MA, MPhil, MIFA
Research Fellow, Oxford Archaeology
------------------------------
The views and opinions contained within this email are not necessarily
those of Oxford Archaeology.
------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nick Boldrini" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: 21 January 2008 01:04:45 o'clock (GMT-0800) America/Los_Angeles
Subject: Re: HER for researchers
Hi Tom
in theory this could make life easier, but in practice what it means is
that we now have a digital backlog as well as a hard copy backlog, as
rarely do projects talk to us about how to make the records more
compatible with HER requirements.
Also, bearing in mind the resource pressures and the original aim of
HER's (ie to inform DC work) then intra site records are less of a
priority for inputting than making sure we hae all sites in the system.
At NYCC at last, we are still trying to make the HER comprehensive in
coverage at a basic index level ie (What, where, when, and what
sources), and only after we have made significant progress on that will
be looking at enhancing records to give more specific detail on eg types
and dates of finds to the sort of level you have mentioned in previous
posts (eg detailing all the different types of find and dates for them
from a site)
best wishes
Nick Boldrini
Historic Environment Record Officer
Heritage and Environment Section
Development and Countryside Service
Business and Environmental Services Directorate
North Yorkshire County Council
County Hall
Northallerton
DL7 8AH
Direct Dial (01609) 532331
Conserving North Yorkshire's heritage - encouraging sustainable access
www.northyorks.gov.uk/archaeology
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