Dissertation Questionnaire

[NickGill]

Hi. I am writing a dissertation on the effects of Digital Technology on Archaeology. I am looking for archaeologists to fill in my survey to give me an insight into the thoughts of the professionals. It will only take 2-3 minutes of your time, it is very simple.

The survey can be found here:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7LR69LC

Thank you so very much.

[troll]

Now this suggests that this individual knows where to find a pulse in archaeology! Good shot young sir/miss! Come on you lot........... this enterprising student wants the opinions of professionals and has come to BAJR to find them. Lets dig in.......:face-approve:Just completed the survey......good luck!

[kevin wooldridge]

I filled in the survey as well......but just one small comment. This is the second time in the past month that I have been faced with a survey regarding 'digital archaeology', to be asked questions on 3d visualisation. I'm not really sure what 3d visualisation has to do with archaeology other than providing a basis for Discovery Channel graphics designers and/or the makers of the Lara Croft video games. Is our dearly beloved subject being hi-jacked by the media industry to add gravitas to what essentially is Media Studies?

[troll]

Sir- I don`t play Tomb-Raider games for the 3D environments-there are other distractions involved!

[the invisible man]

I have to say (well I don't, but I'm going to) that this seems very imprecise to me, it's all a bit vague. What exactly is meant by "digital"? There's a question about mobile phones for example - so are we talking about anything electric, or is the survey driving at paperless recording and so on? Does the mobile phone question include GPS?

[Jack]

Did it.............the survey seemed to be trying to guide you to say that more digital technology should be used in archaeology.

[troll]

The survey could indeed do with tweaking but that said, there is a free-hand comments box so views can be expressed outside of the framework of the questionaire itself.:face-approve:

[BRahn]

Yes, 'more' digital technology, irrespective of whether that's 'better'. Just 'more', shovel that digital technology in there!

kevin: I think 3D visualisation has more than proven itself a useful tool within the realm of archaeology, not only from a 'Discovery channel' pretty reconstructions aspect, but also as a research tool in its own right.

[NickGill]

Thank you all for filling in the questionnaire. I have almost reached the limit of replies. I understand about the vagueness of the survey, but it seems to be a very vague subject. The dissertation itself is actually very directed at a certain aspect of digital technology and endeavors to provide a valuable and meaningful answer, including a prototype of a system. This survey is very important in establishing whether or not there is a general interest around 'digital' archaeology and to gauge opinions on what I have classed as the major aspects of digital archaeology at the moment. Whilst it may seem like cheating, if I hadn't have got the answers I wanted from this survey, the whole dissertation would have been irrelevant. I genuinely think there is a huge void, in which everyday technologies which we use can fill, and it is in this that I find interesting. Thanks again.

[kevin wooldridge]

kevin: I think 3D visualisation has more than proven itself a useful tool within the realm of archaeology, not only from a 'Discovery channel' pretty reconstructions aspect, but also as a research tool in its own right.

BRahn: I'd be interested in some examples of where it has been used as a 'research tool'.....by which I guess you mean it has analytical value above and beyond the pure visualisation. I have seen laser scanning and 3d projections from laser scans used as a conservation tool, particulaly in monitoring displacement in standing buildings and monuments, but that to my mind is as a measurement rather than as a research tool. Always happy to hear about something new though.....