The Reach of Outreach

[vulpes]

The grey literature reports are also deposited in the local studies library as well as HER in my local area. This approach doesn't cost a lot but also isn't that common elsewhere :face-thinks:

PPS5 also lays the ground for better outcomes in terms of outreach through the planning process. It's down to the curators to embrace this and get it into briefs. The real trick though is getting good quality outreach in this context when competitive tendering is usual. Again curators can help here by being specific in their requirements and ensuring that consideration of public involvement / outreach is built in from evaluation onwards. i.e. evaluations must look at the potential of remains to address this objective and increase understanding of the past. This has been done in some cases e.g. M74 in Scotland.

What we need to avoid is the tokenism alluded to by Dinosaur, which serves no one.

[the invisible man]

How much extra would it cost who? (or whom?) If a seperate copy of ecvery report is provided to every school within a defined area surrounding a site I would think it could be quite expensive, epecially if additional interesting reports are to be prepared, printed and distributed. Is the contractor to pay, thus by definition passing the cost on to his client, or wil the school pay? Of course it will also require the client's permission which will not necessarily be forthcoming.

[kevin wooldridge]

As I suggested yesterday dissemination can be done though digital means. If the school/library/record office then wishes to print off the report for use in the school they will be able to do so at their leisure and without any additional cost to the project.....

...........as for seeking the permission of the sponsor....as Vulpes suggests a 'dissemination' clause could easily be written into the planning agreement and I don't see that for the sake of secrecy, 'popular' reports should be any different to interims, journal or other publications. If a client is particularly concerned perhaps a suitable time lapse could be agreed after which dissemination is allowed.

[Comarch]

The grey literature reports are also deposited in the local studies library as well as HER in my local area. This approach doesn't cost a lot but also isn't that common elsewhere :face-thinks:

PPS5 also lays the ground for better outcomes in terms of outreach through the planning process. It's down to the curators to embrace this and get it into briefs. The real trick though is getting good quality outreach in this context when competitive tendering is usual. Again curators can help here by being specific in their requirements and ensuring that consideration of public involvement / outreach is built in from evaluation onwards. i.e. evaluations must look at the potential of remains to address this objective and increase understanding of the past. This has been done in some cases e.g. M74 in Scotland.

What we need to avoid is the tokenism alluded to by Dinosaur, which serves no one.

Exactly. If you give this work to field archaeologists it would just be something that they fit in. Schools in a given area need to get to know who they are working with to maintain face-to-face contact and build on good work. Kevin, I know that there are plenty of people in units who are articulate and could present their sites well. But why load more work onto their shoulders? Is this professional? Or do we treat outreach (top down as opposed to to community archaeology = bottom up, if you excuse the phrase) in the token-istic way already mentioned? I have work thanks, so it is not me fishing (always looking for more ) it's the approach we need to take from the start and into the future. Good points about how this is to be done on this thread.

[Madweasels]

Well, getting the funds out of the clients to do any sort of public access work is the responsibility of the Project Manager, is it not? I am afraid that, in my experience, I know of a number of PMs who just can't be arsed to include this sort of thing or don't want to have to ask their clients for more than is necessary. I suspect they have got into the cosy habit of getting their clients to pay for the barest minimum. I know this might be the subject of a different thread, but I do think that in many regards the PMs have too much authority in archaeology. Ok, some of you are going to say, of course they do - they are the interface with the clients. But I fear that I do not believe that all PMs are strictly doing everything that is necessary for the good of archaeology. There - I've said it...

[kevin wooldridge]

There - I've said it...

Does it feel good to get it off your chest?

[trainedchimp]

on the other hand, when you're the PM, you're a bit stuck over the barrel of trying to keep enough work for the diggers so they stay employed, but trying to do something that approximates to the right thing by the archaeology. Sometimes you make a good call, sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes someone who's not costed in shoring or welfare, or isn't paying their staff as much as you sneaks the job from you on cost. It's the sh***y side of the job. As has been said before, just because you do the right thing doesn't mean you won't get nuked by those who don't.:face-rain:

My main query is what exactly would schools or libraries do with a monkeyload of reports that take about 15 pages of methodology and plans to explain that they found nothing? Most libraries are despearate to get rid of books as they haven't got the space. If it doesn't get read, it goes out. Academic libraries do this as well. The raw data's very boring and utterly pointless for almost everybody (most archaeologists included), and what is needed is the sort of popular synthesis/highlights of the juicy bits that actually engages people and makes them think- not really the role of the individual writing up the site, but someone with the wider knowledge, like the county mounty or the local unit directopr (he says, coming over all 1988). The web seems to be a pretty good place to keep the grey literature (much easier, faster and cheaper than a library once the permanence thing is sorted, although the sheer number of places where people stash the stuff reduces the ephemerality problem (and there's still always a pare copy in the HER/NMR/RCAHMS/ASI, and a magazine could be chucked out every year, or a book every 10 years or so.

Going back on myself a bit, though, surely we need to see what gets downloaded, and more importantly by who and why before we say what we need.. I did a couple of days back, get a flashy newsletter from OASIS, which just said that loads of stuff had been uploaded, loads downlaoded, and that everyone was seeing the point, but it didn't say is how people are using it, and it would be useful to see how many people who downloaded OASIS reports were non-archaeologists (or even academics for that matter)- this kind of thing should be pretty easy to monitor or survey for, surely?:face-thinks:

I like something like this lot have been doing, quietly, for about the last forever. It's aimed at a local, non-technical audience, but is enough to make a start on if you're doing even some serious research (particularly as the grey literature is there as well). The interface isn't the prettiest and it's well hidden, but everything's there.

http://cat.essex.ac.uk/all-reports.html

[trainedchimp]

forgot - you do need to scroll right through to the 'popular' stuff, and of course it doesn't include the very good book, available from the Trust for about ?15 (or it was when I bought my copy in 1996, but they made the mistake of printing the cost on the cover...). The idea was to cover the costs of the book and get the information out there for everyone from interested tourists and locals, through to schools and students.

[GnomeKing]

Albion Archaeology also had some material specifically aimed at schools, but seems to have been done some time ago....

[BAJR]

I can feel another BAJR list and dataset coming in here... and then the secret will be to georef everythiing and allow any number of people to link any number of records together.