The essential set of working guidelines appropriate to all HERs, large and small, and for all staff, volunteers and students involved in managing, running, using or supporting an HER.#

These guidelines have been developed to assist those who manage, work in and use Historic Environment Records (HERs). They provide an introduction to the HERs and the services that they provide, set out agreed guidelines for working practices, support the delivery of training information and advice, and provide a guide to all aspects of HER management, working practices, standards, systems and services.

This new edition in wiki format constitutes a major revision and expansion from the first two editions to include recent developments and covers Wales and Scotland as well as England with numerous case studies. The publication is the result of a collaboration between Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers UK (ALGAO UK) and the Archaeology Data Service (ADS).

This online manual for HERs is available to view as standard web pages (html) with a contents side bar and hyperlinks for ease of navigation. A major change from the previous edition is that pdf versions of the sections are no longer available, this move away from creating a physical page layout facilitates the speedy updating of the text by the editors and contributors using wiki technology. We would therefore advise users to consult the document online rather than printing or saving copies to ensure that they are viewing the latest version.

We hope that you find the guidelines useful and welcome feedback on the contents.

Paul Gilman and Martin Newman (Editors)

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