Today, the Archaeological Archives Forum (AAF) have issued a joint statement to endorse the Dig Digital toolkit, an initiative that has created guidance targeting those who deal with digital data in archaeological projects.
The AAF “encourage organisations and individuals to access and use….[this resource]…. to support those working across the sector, with an aim to providing consistent advice through all project stages.”
The Dig Digital toolkit is designed to support all practitioners across the UK and beyond by providing background information and practical tools. More detail about the toolkit can be found below.
As a member of the AAF, the ADS supports this statement and endorses the use of the Dig Digital toolkit as an excellent resource for data management of archaeological projects.
To read the full statement please visit the AAF website.
Dig Digital
The Dig Digital project is a Historic England funded initiative developed by the Archaeological Archives Forum and delivered by DigVentures with CIfA. The work has created the Dig Digital toolkit toolkit, a resource designed to support practitioners across the UK in the everyday management of digital data in archaeological projects. The toolkit provides supplementary guidance for those creating archives destined for any trusted digital repository, with usable tools to support data management and implementation of good practice.
CIfA Standards and Guidance for Archaeological Archives
In light of this new resource, existing ClfA Standards and guidance for Archaeological Archives have been updated to include:
- A requirement to include a Data Management Plan, proportionate to the scale and complexity of the project, within the agreed archaeological method statement (such as the WSI or Project Design).
- Encouragement to use the Data Management Plan as a live and iterative document through the delivery of the archaeological projects through to deposition.
- Fully embedding digital data into the project archive process.
- Deposition of digital data with a trusted digital repository ideally recognised by the Core Trust Seal scheme.
For more information, please contact:
Claire Tsang (Claire.Tsang@historicengland.org.uk), Archaeological Archives Principal, Historic England and Secretary, Archaeological Archives Forum.
Manda Forster (manda@digventures.com) Project Lead, Dig Digital Project, Chief Operating Officer, DigVentures.
Jen Parker Wooding (jen.parkerwooding@archaeologists.net), Project Partner, Dig Digital Project, Senior Professional Standards & Practice Coordinator, CIfA.
