Tag Archives: HERALD

How can we improve the Geophysics recording in OASIS?

OASIS, OASIS PLUS, , ,

The OASIS form started collecting extra information about Geophysical surveys in 2004 when The Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments in Scotland (now Historic Environment Scotland, HES) funded the creation of an extra part of the OASIS form.

How is the data collected now?

When a user selects Geophysical survey under project type they then see

Geophysical Survey of Proposed Solar Park, Collacott Farm, Fremington, North Devon (OASIS ID: archaeop1-197543)
Geophysical Survey of Proposed Solar Park, Collacott Farm, Fremington, North Devon (OASIS ID: archaeop1-197543)

an extra section to complete. These completed survey details are then passed on to relevant national body (HES or Historic England), HERs, other data consumers and entered into the Geophysical Survey Database (GSDB) so it can be seen publicly. If a report is added to the OASIS record then this is also linked to the record in the GSDB. The metadata entered in the OASIS form for a geophysical survey is sufficiently detailed to accompany a digital archive that is submitted and allows the data to be reused.

So the survey details are added once to the OASIS form and used in multiple places. This ‘COPE’ Capture Once Publish Everywhere is the driving aim of OASIS.

Attached (Geophysics_fields) is a list of the fields currently collected by OASIS and the accompanying pick lists that are available for some of the fields. People are able to enter other terms as well as those in the lists and this has created some problems on the transfer of data to the Geophysical survey database.

How can you help?

Continue reading How can we improve the Geophysics recording in OASIS? →

HERALD: The agreed project design

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The Herald: John D. Batten
The Herald: John D. Batten

It’s a busy few months on the HERALD project. In March the final project design was agreed and work commenced almost immediately on the first major milestone: the creation of the ADS Library.

There’s been considerable interest in what is happening next, so we thought it would be a good idea to circulate the HERALD Stage 2 Project Design, so that people can see what has changed since we circulated the draft design last October.

Broadly speaking the timetable for the redevelopment project is as follows:
1. BIAB search interface and data entry interface – Autumn 2016.
2. Agreement of final functional specification for OASIS – Jan 2017.
3. Main OASIS form created – Winter 2017.
4. OASIS PLUS modules created – Spring 2018.
5. First testing release (ALPHA) – Summer 2018.
6. Beta Release – Autumn 2018*

As ever, questions and comments can be sent to the HERALD Project Manager, Jo Gilham. Or use the comments below.

Remember: to keep up-to-date with HERALD developments subscribe to our blog.

How should OASIS collect large area surveys?

OASIS,

If you are an OASIS user or potential user we need your comments on how the new OASIS system will record large area surveys.

The current version of OASIS was not designed to collect large area surveys and so does not cope with it very well. We think we can do better in the new system, but we need your help!

This is how things might be improved. Please use the comments section to tell us what you think.

© Museum of London Archaeology, Northamptonshire County Council http://dx.doi.org/10.5284/1025063
http://dx.doi.org/10.5284/1025063

What scenarios are there? We think:

  1. Walkover surveys e.g. Windfarm
  2. Thematic surveys/studies e.g. Roman bath sites in the UK
  3. Linear projects e.g. Road/rail schemes
  4. Large geophysical surveys
  5.  Can you add others?

Recording and reporting:

Continue reading How should OASIS collect large area surveys? →

What Academics said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings #7

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This is the final instalment of the findings from the HERALD survey and covers the returns from 56 of the total 516 respondents who defined themselves as academic staff or students.

  1. All but one of the respondents replied as individuals and it was an almost even split between university staff and students. Most respondents worked in England with about 10% working in Scotland and Wales. 60% of respondents came from medium sized departments and the types of work carried out were diverse with largest group being 30% of respondents doing general fieldwork, and the next largest group being post excavation specialists.

Continue reading What Academics said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings #7 →

What museum professionals said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings #6

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This was a small sample of a small community within archaeology and the historic environment being only 15 of the total 516 respondents and further consultation will be needed to confirm if the opinions below are a true reflection of the museum community. However it is worth noting that some of the questions received the same answers from all respondents.

  1. The majority of respondents came from England (73%) and just over half gave their own views rather than views on behalf of their organisations. The majority of responses came from museums with archaeological collections and archaeological curators.

Continue reading What museum professionals said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings #6 →

What volunteers and community groups said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings #5

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Here’s the next in the series of HERALD survey findings: 67 of the total 516 respondents classed themselves as volunteers or community archaeologists including local societies and independent archaeologists or researchers.

The responses sample size was quite small in comparison with other groups (12% of total respondents). However, the results did provide some insight into the nature of community groups and how they were using existing digital resources and some of the reasons for not using the current OASIS system. Continue reading What volunteers and community groups said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings #5 →

What historic building specialists said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings #4

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This is the fourth post in the series of HERALD survey findings for the redevelopment of the OASIS form. 79 of the total 516 respondents defined themselves local government conservation officers and 20 of the total 516 were historic building specialists.

  1. Most buildings specialists (BS) responded as individuals whereas conservation officers (CO) were much more likely to respond on behalf of their organisation. The majority of respondents for both groups work in England with a few BS working in Wales. There were no CO responses from Scotland because the survey was sent out on an English Heritage Conservation Officer list but not an equivalent list for Scotland.

Continue reading What historic building specialists said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings #4 →

What specialists said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings #3

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This is the third instalment in the findings from the HERALD survey on the redevelopment of the OASIS form. Only 17 respondents from of the total of 516 respondents defined themselves Specialist (post excavation analyses). And although the results set was small these were the conclusions drawn from it:

  1. Three quarters of the 17 respondents who defined themselves as post-excavation specialists responded as individuals and all work in England with about a quarter also working in Scotland and Wales. The organisations represented were of all sizes from one person to over 250 employees.

Continue reading What specialists said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings #3 →

What contractors thought of OASIS: HERALD Survey findings #2

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Here’s the second instalment of the seven posts on the HERALD survey findings. This covers 155 of the total 516 responses from contractors otherwise known as the FAME survey and it includes contracting archaeologists and archaeological consultants.

  1. Respondents were almost evenly split between responding as individuals and on behalf of their organisations this probably reflects the high proportion of small businesses in commercial archaeology – over half of respondents have less than 10 staff in their organisation. Just over two thirds of respondents were contracting archaeologists, the rest were archaeological consultants. The majority of respondents work in England with almost 30% working in Scotland and/or Wales and almost 10% working in Northern Ireland.

Continue reading What contractors thought of OASIS: HERALD Survey findings #2 →

What local government archaeologists said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings # 1

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I’m pleased to be able to tell you about the findings of the HERALD: OASIS redevelopment survey that happened last year. Although there was one survey the results have been analysed in seven separate groups according to the way that people defined themselves:

How respondents were grouped in the survey results
How respondents were grouped in the survey results

Here are the findings of the survey of local government archaeologists including – multi-role archaeologists, HER Officers, planning archaeologists, county/city archaeologists. This includes 104 of the total 516 respondents.

  1. Who is including OASIS in briefs: There is a surprising level of inconsistency in who sets brief and indeed if briefs are set at all .

“We do not use briefs – it [OASIS] is expected to be included in Written Schemes of Investigation” Continue reading What local government archaeologists said about OASIS: HERALD survey findings # 1 →