This page (revision-14) was last changed on 31-Mar-2015 17:25 by Alison Bennett

This page was created on 17-Sep-2012 14:52 by Alison Bennett

Only authorized users are allowed to rename pages.

Only authorized users are allowed to delete pages.

Page revision history

Version Date Modified Size Author Changes ... Change note
14 31-Mar-2015 17:25 45 KB Alison Bennett to previous
13 16-Mar-2015 12:08 45 KB Sarah MacLean to previous | to last
12 16-Mar-2015 12:08 45 KB Sarah MacLean to previous | to last
11 03-Feb-2015 15:42 45 KB Alison Bennett to previous | to last
10 03-Feb-2015 15:39 8 KB Alison Bennett to previous | to last
9 03-Feb-2015 15:37 7 KB Alison Bennett to previous | to last
8 03-Feb-2015 11:58 9 KB Alison Bennett to previous | to last
7 14-Nov-2014 12:13 9 KB Sarah MacLean to previous | to last
6 07-Mar-2014 10:50 9 KB Sarah MacLean to previous | to last
5 07-Mar-2014 10:48 9 KB Sarah MacLean to previous | to last
4 24-Oct-2012 12:43 9 KB Sarah MacLean to previous | to last
3 20-Sep-2012 17:08 9 KB Alison Bennett to previous | to last
2 20-Sep-2012 17:07 9 KB Alison Bennett to previous | to last
1 17-Sep-2012 14:52 9 KB Alison Bennett to last

Page References

Incoming links Outgoing links
SectionB.6
SectionB.6

Version management

Difference between version and

At line 1 changed one line
[{TableOfContents title='B.7 Data standards for the Historic Environment'}]
[{TableOfContents title='B.6 Mapping and spatial data'}]
At line 3 changed 6 lines
!!!B.7 Data standards for the Historic Environment
!!B.7.1 What are data standards?
Data standards can be simply defined as an agreed statement of "what information should be recorded, in what manner, to achieve a particular objective". The objectives for historic environment managers are set out elsewhere in this manual. This section describes;
* the value that shared data standards add to historic environment recording,
* data standards that are in current use,
* how HER officers can get involved in shaping the future direction of data standards to ensure that they meet the needs of the profession.
!!!B.6 Mapping and spatial data
!!B.6.1 Mapping
The way in which archaeological sites have been mapped varies, but two main types of mapping can be found, with some HERs maintaining both types ([Baker 1999a|Bibliography#Baker 1999a|target='_blank']):
At line 10 changed 2 lines
!!B.7.2 Why are data standards needed?
Collection and recording of historic environment information is an expensive, and in some cases unrepeatable, process. It is essential that the information contained within HERs can be readily retrieved and understood by anyone and increasingly important that data from different HERs can be compared. Data standards ensure that information is recorded in a consistent and retrievable way so that the maximum benefit for the users of data is obtained from the investment.
*__Archaeological constraint areas__: this type of mapping attempts to show areas within which archaeological remains are known and/or suspected to survive. This helps archaeologists, planners, developers and others to see rapidly whether a particular development is likely to require an archaeological response. This may also mean that the areas outside the constraint line might be considered to be devoid of archaeological interest and some HERs have, for this reason, decided not to define areas of constraint.
*__Archaeological extent__: in this type of mapping, the areas indicated are the extents of known archaeological monuments. Where this extent is only approximately known then it is normal practice for a line to be defined around the nearest field boundary. It is usual for linear features such as Roman roads to be delineated and also for find spots to be depicted by a spot or a circle. Where there is uncertainty as to whether the location is correct, a dashed line may be used to indicate this.
At line 13 changed 9 lines
The benefits offered include:
* __Reliability__: As standard procedures are tried and tested, if they are sensibly applied they will work well.
* __Consistency__: Data standards promote consistency in recording of information, which ensures that records can be retrieved easily, so that all known relevant information is available when needed.
* __Expertise__: Historic environment data standards incorporate the accumulated expertise and experience of several decades. Their adoption builds this experience into an information system, reducing the risk associated with developing a system from scratch.
* __Compatibility__: No one organisation holds all the data relating to a particular site or area. There are usually other organisations with an interest who may have useful data. When recorded to common standards, data held in different databases can be shared and exchanged much more easily. This is increasingly important as new ways of accessing data remotely are developed.
* __Communication__: Data standards assist in communication of concepts involved in the historic environment both between HER staff and between HER staff and their software consultants and organisations within and beyond the sector.
* __Benchmarking__: Data standards perform a crucial role in providing an independent benchmark against which HER data quality can be assessed.
* __Staff skills__: Adoption of common data standards enable staff to become familiar with systems more quickly when changing jobs and enable employers to recruit staff with relevant skills. They also facilitate organisation of training through events such as conferences and seminars.
* __Information system development__: No information system lasts indefinitely. At some point data needs to be migrated from one system to its successor. Standards simplify the process of specification of new information systems and migration is greatly simplified if standards are consistent within the data.
The scales used by HERs will vary but the basic mapping is usually 1:10,000 with more complex areas such as historic towns mapped at 1:2,500 or even 1:1,250. Some HERs have mapped directly on to paper or film copies of the OS maps, whereas others use overlays. The advantage of the latter approach is that the overlay is independent of the OS map base, which changes over time.
At line 23 changed 2 lines
!!B.7.3 MIDAS and INSCRIPTION
This section describes the purpose of the two central standards for historic environment recording. Further information about these standards is available online via the website of FISH (the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage) [http://fishforum.weebly.com/]
In practice, most HERs will have a variety of types of maps that have been developed for different purposes and projects. For example, crop-mark sites may be plotted on separate overlays, which can be placed over the main HER maps to enable the user to see the crop-mark features within each HER monument.
!!B.6.2 Mapping issues
In HER mapping it is important to consider the following:
*the HER recording manual and user guide should explain how sites have been mapped.
*a consistent approach should be taken to mapping, especially across each type of mapping.
*there should be consistent use of symbols, which should be defined in a key either on the map itself or in the HER recording guidelines or user guide.
At line 26 changed 4 lines
%%image-caption
[{Image src='fig5.jpg' alt='Figure 5: The logo for the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage.'}]
''Figure 5: The logo for the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage.''
/%
Maps form a fundamental tool without which HERs would be unable to function. However, paper maps have their limitations. It can be difficult to keep the map base itself up-to-date. Maps can be time-consuming to use and can be viewed by only a few people at any one time. Only a limited amount of information can be shown on one set of maps or overlays, making it harder to carry out assessment and analysis. For these reasons, most HERs have adopted or are exploring the use of GIS.
!!B.6.3 GIS and spatial databases
GIS has much to offer within local government, and is now established as the tool of choice not only for managing spatial information both within archaeological and heritage contexts, but also for all other areas that deal with spatial data including environmental management, planning, rights of way, flood management and many other topics.
At line 31 changed 2 lines
!MIDAS
Developed from data standardisation work in the 1980s and early 1990s [''MIDAS''|Bibliography#Lee 1998|target='_blank'] was first published in 1998 by the Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England (RCHME). ''MIDAS'' is available as a free downloadable electronic document via links from the FISH website, or direct from the English Heritage website.
As a result, many local authorities have or are establishing corporate GIS-based databases helping to avoid duplication of effort, make best use of resources and bring together datasets which were becoming fragmented. Linking an HER dataset into a corporate GIS means that the HER data can be displayed and related to other datasets held in the authority. These may be topographical, such as contours and rivers, or other planning constraints such as conservation areas and SSSIs. This opens up new possibilities for taking a more integrated approach to planning and conservation.
At line 34 changed one line
Development work in 2004 has extended MIDAS to cover GIS type data and watercraft and aircraft recording. A second full edition [''MIDAS Heritage: The UK Historic Environment Information Standard''|Bibliography#FISH 2012|target='_blank'] is in production. This second edition will cover a wider range of information types, supporting standardised recording of these by the HER community. Further development work will be reported online via the FISH website.
GIS also opens up avenues for analysis and research into the historic environment. As desktop GIS software develops and its power continues to grow, there is increased potential for analysis and visualisation of datasets, for example in three dimensions or in virtual-reality models. Recent development of web browsers incorporating GIS is enhancing the potential for sharing and display of information through corporate intranets and the internet.
At line 36 changed 4 lines
%%image-caption
[{Image src='fig6.gif' alt='Figure 6: The logo of MIDAS, the national data standard for the content of historic environment records.'}]
''Figure 6: The logo of MIDAS, the national data standard for the content of historic environment records.''
/%
There are now many books on the uses of GIS in archaeology, including edited volumes illustrating the uses of GIS for research and management of projects (see for example [Gillings et al 1999|Bibliography#Gillings et al 1999|target='_blank'], [Lock 2000|Bibliography#Lock 2000|target='_blank'], [Westcott and Brandon 2000|Bibliography#Westcott and Brandon 2000|target='_blank']) and also more general sources ([Wheatley and Gillings 2002|Bibliography#Wheatley and Gillings 2002|target='_blank'], Connolly and Lake in press). The ADS's [''GIS Guide to Good Practice'' (Gillings and Wise 1998)|Bibliography#Gillings and Wise 1998|target='_blank'] provides practical guidance for individuals and organisations involved in the creation, maintenance, use and long-term preservation of GIS-based digital resources and also provides specific advice for HERs.
At line 41 changed one line
__''What is in MIDAS?''__
The aim of this section of the manual is to provide a primer on some of the issues to consider before embarking on system development. It does not set out to review general functionality of GIS in any detail or to review the current GIS market place. Rather, it sets out some of the considerations to be taken into account in establishing a GIS for an HER, and some of the benefits that can be gained through successful implementation.
!!B.6.4 Having a GIS strategy
Desktop GIS applications are relatively affordable, and run on commonly available PC platforms. However, the overall systems cost to put together an HER application (including procurement, customisation, data capture, maintenance, mapping) remains high. Although elements of the system-development life cycle may sometimes be missed out, this will generally be a false economy. For example, omitting a clear and well-thought-out statement of user requirements will, at the minimum, make it difficult to measure whether the system has fulfilled its anticipated purposes, and at the worst, result in frustrated users and managers who feel 'let down'. The development of systems that will meet needs over the life of the system and that enable the information held within them to be transferred to future systems requires careful planning. Significant changes after system implementation can be very expensive.
At line 43 changed one line
MIDAS is a content standard in that it defines the individual facts or ‘units of information’ that should be included in a standardised record of, for example, a monument or archaeological event. It is also an open data standard, in that although information schemes are described the exact structure in which data is to be recorded is not defined, so that MIDAS can be applied to a range of information systems. To promote consistency and standardisation within the HER sector, MIDAS has been used as the basis for development of HER Level 1 Benchmark 3.2. Compliance at a basic level with MIDAS is therefore a professional requirement for all HERs. HER staff should, however, familiarise themselves with the full MIDAS standard, which includes a much wider range of information.
Many local authorities will have either departmental or corporate policies governing GIS. These may include standards for hardware and software, data standards and policies for access. GIS is well suited to a corporate approach to data management, since it can bring together information from different sources, and even different data types into a single, spatial view. For example, GIS allows users to select a location (for example a property address) and to display text information from a database of planning proposals, a listed buildings database, an HER database or other digital information such as a scanned property deed from the record office or photographs from the engineer's department.
At line 45 changed 35 lines
__''Who should use MIDAS?''__
MIDAS is intended for a wider audience than just the HER community and is recommended reading for anyone involved in inventory projects. Worked examples in the manual cover, for example, its application to academic research databases and voluntary sector thematic surveys. The same requirement for standards exists for these other sectors if the maximum value is to be obtained from their efforts. This is of course particularly important if the intention exists to deposit the results of these surveys with the local HERs.
In addition to the data standard itself, MIDAS includes a manual to assist those managing and maintaining an inventory of the historic environment. HER staff should not only be familiar with MIDAS themselves but should also recommend its use to local societies working in their area.
%%image-caption
[{Image src='fig7.gif' alt='Figure 7: The logo for the INSCRIPTION terminology standard web pages.'}]
''Figure 7: The logo for the INSCRIPTION terminology standard web pages.''
/%
!INSCRIPTION
Effective searching of HERs relies on the quality of indexing. Good indexing ensures effective retrieval of records relevant to a search; poor indexing means that records will be overlooked.
Most HER information systems support indexing using standardised terminologies built into the actual software. These include simple lists, such as types of legal protection for a monument, more complex hierarchical lists such as the ALGAO list of Event Types or full indexing thesauri such as the English Heritage Thesaurus of Monument Types (see panels [4|http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/ifp/Wiki.jsp?page=SectionB.8#section-SectionB.8-Panel4ToolsForIndexingAndRetrieval1.Wordlists] and [5|http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/ifp/Wiki.jsp?page=SectionB.8#section-SectionB.8-Panel5ToolsForIndexingAndRetrieval2.Thesauri]).
INSCRIPTION, provided by the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage is the definitive source for information about all the available national standards. It is a collection of wordlists and thesauri developed by various heritage bodies that are recommended for use in conjunction with ''MIDAS'' units of information.
''MIDAS'' and INSCRIPTION have been developed to work together. For each case where ''MIDAS'' recommends the use of a controlled terminology, a suitable indexing terminology has been developed by one or more of the partners in the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage, and details included in INSCRIPTION.
Find out more about INSCRIPTION, and how the controlled terminologies recorded there can be used by visiting [http://fishforum.weebly.com/].
%%image-caption
[{Image src='fig8.png' width='750px' alt='Figure 8: A sample screenshot from the INSCRIPTION web page.'}]
''Figure 8: A sample screenshot from the INSCRIPTION web page.''
/%
!!B.7.4 The FISH Interoperability Toolkit
Interoperability is the ability to reuse data created in one software application in another. It is essential if efficient sharing of data between HERs and their users is to become a reality. Interoperability relies on data standards that are understood and shared within the HER community such as ''MIDAS'' and INSCRIPTION, plus technical standards to support the creation of data files that different software packages will be able to process.
To provide HER managers and their IT advisors with the technical tools needed to make interoperability possible the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage have developed a ‘toolkit’ of protocols and formats aimed at HERs and their technical advisors. It is based upon ''MIDAS'' and incorporates the HER benchmark Level 1 standard. Online validation of data against INSCRIPTION controlled terminologies is supported.
Whereas ''MIDAS'' and INSCRIPTION are aimed at HER staff, the Toolkit is aimed at IT specialists and software developers. HER staff should familiarise themselves with the functions that the Toolkit supports, but are advised to contact their IT support staff for discussion of how the Toolkit might be implemented in their systems.
Further information on the FISH Interoperability Toolkit can be accessed online at [http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/fishtoolkit/].
As with most computing, the continuing emphasis on communications and IT in higher education ensures that there is a growing awareness of GIS amongst recent graduates. For existing HER staff, training in the corporate GIS is generally available either from the local authority or from commercial training providers. There are also courses offered by university continuing education departments and others on the use of GIS in archaeology and for conservation.
This page (revision-14) was last changed on 31-Mar-2015 17:25 by Alison BennettTop