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I for one have always attempted to quote as much (relevant) grey literature sources in (grey) reports as possible as a type of 'rolling bibliography' not just for myself and colleagues (it's amazing how often one seems to be digging in the next field on an unconnected project a few years later) but to help give the less well informed (academics who've never delved beyond their library) a subtle hint as to what information's out there and a toe-in to the wider archaeological world beyond the realms of glossy covers and ISBN numbers.
...but then again I'm a bit sad and read grey literature in my spare time :p
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Well... at least Digital Past are trying to move it forward with another untapped resource... the community and society report. on a budget of nuppence
http://www.openarchive.co.uk
I do know that ADS is working towards this too. and of course in Scotland the Canmore system is opening up the data more and more... (
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/ )
Let me at the academic research.. I would love to be able to use it as well. after all, it seems fair to me, It is almost like I sweat in the field, to grow and collect the potato, and then give it to the warehouse, who sorts all the potatos for free into easy to find boxes. along comes an academic who marvels at this lost store of potatoes... heads off back to Uni, where they synthesize the Potato into a fine Crisp - then, I ask if I can have a look at this crisp... NO... comes the booming voice of Academic Authority - now you must pay.. to see the results of your work..
or am I wrong? :face-thinks:
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bit like being charged to use HER or put archive in museum
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BAJR Wrote:Let me at the academic research.. I would love to be able to use it as well. after all, it seems fair to me, It is almost like I sweat in the field, to grow and collect the potato, and then give it to the warehouse, who sorts all the potatos for free into easy to find boxes. along comes an academic who marvels at this lost store of potatoes... heads off back to Uni, where they synthesize the Potato into a fine Crisp - then, I ask if I can have a look at this crisp... NO... comes the booming voice of Academic Authority - now you must pay.. to see the results of your work..
or am I wrong? :face-thinks:
Nice metaphor, spot on, and... mmmm crisps!
I look forward to the pitch for 'Indiana Jones and the Lost Store of Potatos'. Is that what was in all those boxes in that warehouse (apart from the Ark of the Covenant), or was it really grey literature reports?!
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RedEarth Wrote:the term 'grey literature', that in itself seems to convey a sense of boringness (OK, that's probably true in a lot of cases)
I think there needs to be a move to "sex up" boring grey literature reports like the "dodgy dossier".
For example, my undated wall is now "The Wall of Mystery and Suspense", containing "A relic of unimaginable power" (quernstone).
My sunken trackways now leads.. towards terror!!!
And my latest grey literature report is now called "The Famous Five and the complicated inter-cutting quarry pits".
(Strangely enough, the quarry pits were filled with lashings of ginger beer. And a dead dog)
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kevin wooldridge Wrote:Indirectly....It strikes me that the new PPS 5 guidance could be a way out of the dilemma of 'grey literature'. The guidance suggests (Policy HE12) that developers have a responsibility to ensure the publication and dissemination of the results of archaeological investigation and that this responsibility can be guaranteed by planning condition. As most commercial archaeology is planning related surely there is now a mechanism to ensure that the worst of practice highlighted in Richard's survey becomes a thing of the past.....(an unintentional pun!!)
Hi
Planning conditions already do this, and I think the point is being missed here. In fact all archaeological projects ARE published its just that some academics don't know where to look.
All standards and guidance (and briefs/specs etc) have all specified publication of results of projects. There is NO real problem, small projects are summarised with a note, and larger projects have larger reports in county Proceedings! All arch projects are in effect published. PPS will help as its more explicit but all PPG16 based WSI's should include publication anyway.
By not publishing the results of planning related projects based on a WSI then archaeologists would not have fulfilled the WSI and have failed in their professional duty to their client which could result in enforcement action.
As commercial/curatorial archaeologists must not accept blame for doing anything wrong here. It seems that some academics do not understand the sources of information and have failed to keep up with the way archaeology works. Not our problem.
.}
Steven
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Eerm, I'm sitting looking at a planning permission which says absolutely nothing about publication in the conditions, merely 'report' (unspecified) and 'archive', and the relevant county mountie (and indeed all of the other ones I ever have dealings with) don't seem too upset by the 'if appropriate' clause in front of anything to do with publication in WSIs. I'd guess that in reality probably only about 10-20% of archaeological jobs ever get any mention in any 'publication'
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By the way, what's wrong with the Archaeology Data Service at the moment? I've not been able to access it for over two weeks now!
?He who seeks vengeance must dig two graves: one for his enemy and one for himself?
Chinese Proverb
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Information available for free would be great but this is a fairly Utopian dream - the information costs money to collect, store and make available.
This week so far I have downloaded two articles from fairly academic journals - cost c. ?18 each - and had an HER send me 3 scanned 'grey literature' reports on evaluations - cost c. ?140 as this represents the minimum 1 hour charge for HER staff time. For either option it has been a whole lot cheaper that getting in the car and driving 1 hour each way to a university library or 2 hours each way to the HER. The downloading was instant and the very competent HER staff turned my request around within a couple of hours of a phone call.
Beamo
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Dirty Boy Wrote:I think there needs to be a move to "sex up" boring grey literature reports like the "dodgy dossier".
For example, my undated wall is now "The Wall of Mystery and Suspense", containing "A relic of unimaginable power" (quernstone).
My sunken trackways now leads.. towards terror!!!
And my latest grey literature report is now called "The Famous Five and the complicated inter-cutting quarry pits".
(Strangely enough, the quarry pits were filled with lashings of ginger beer. And a dead dog)
OO I like that! My barrow complex could then become 'the tomb of the once-king' :face-approve:
