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17th January 2013, 05:31 PM
Finally got my link to the survey, 5 days after asking for it! Just about every single question is framed for people who work for 'an organization'. What about freelancers (ie 'sole traders') such as myself? Don't the people who put this survey together realize that we exist? I hope you didn't pay money for this...
\"Whoever understands the pottery, understands the site\" - Wheeler
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19th January 2013, 01:11 AM
well i still have no reply....:face-approve:
the selfemployed issue is xx(
sorry, who paid for this again ? :I
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21st January 2013, 05:47 PM
I'm confused - this is surely a questionnaire for owners of archaeological companies and not employees. Why don't you send it to them? Am I missing something?
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21st January 2013, 11:04 PM
Gilraen Wrote:I'm confused - this is surely a questionnaire for owners of archaeological companies and not employees. Why don't you send it to them? Am I missing something?
My thoughts exactly, this isn't 'profiling the profession' it's 'profiling contract archaeology companies'
\"Whoever understands the pottery, understands the site\" - Wheeler
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22nd January 2013, 10:38 AM
I tend to agree. I started filling it is as a freelancer and gave up.
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22nd January 2013, 11:52 AM
Gilraen Wrote:I'm confused - this is surely a questionnaire for owners of archaeological companies and not employees. Why don't you send it to them? Am I missing something?
Yes, we are receiving a lot of feedback along those lines. Several freelancers feel it is not for them. Feedback we will use next time around, maybe two separate surveys. The problem we have is that in 1990s when it was originally designed it was aimed at owners of archaeological companies. That has picked up 20 years of continual data asking, basically, the same questions. Which is great, because we now have 20 years of data with changes nicely captured. A big problem is 2008, most companies have laid off portions of their work force and now there are probably more freelancers/(other hard to define workers) then at any time in the last (15? 20? years, anyone disagree with that assessment?). Maybe that is the new normal or the new trend in archaeology, maybe next time around everyone will be employed by companies.
In short, apologies to everyone who has taken the survey and been very frustrated. Decisions about trying to preserve 20 years of datasets and the changing world of archaeology were made and my sincerest apologies to anyone frustrated by the process.
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22nd January 2013, 12:01 PM
You may be able to draw some conclusions about the changing workforce, anyway, just from the number of results (compared to previous years, though it would need to be balanced somehow against some estimate of archaeologists in employment) and the feedback received? Not necessarily a useless exercise?
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22nd January 2013, 06:56 PM
Doug Wrote:and now there are probably more freelancers/(other hard to define workers) then at any time in the last (15? 20? years, anyone disagree with that assessment?).
Well I've been freelance for over 15 years, and I know plenty of others (mainly pottery analysts) who've been doing the same for as long, if not longer. Don't think it's changed dramatically in that time. As for other branches of archaeology, I couldn't say.
\"Whoever understands the pottery, understands the site\" - Wheeler
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23rd January 2013, 01:13 AM
redexile Wrote:Well I've been freelance for over 15 years, and I know plenty of others (mainly pottery analysts) who've been doing the same for as long, if not longer. Don't think it's changed dramatically in that time. As for other branches of archaeology, I couldn't say.
Sorry, should have said freelance in the sense of single man operations. I know lots of the larger units laid off a lot of staff who have since gone into business for themselves- watching briefs, small stuff, etc. Using there expertise to pick up stuff from other projects- post-ex stuff. Not sure how one defines freelance vs. say self-employed or even if there is a difference? Or if we could just call it a general "I will take what I can get" sort of position???
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23rd January 2013, 02:27 PM
Doug Wrote:Not sure how one defines freelance vs. say self-employed or even if there is a difference? Or if we could just call it a general "I will take what I can get" sort of position???
Might have been an idea to think about this BEFORE you released the survey? Freelancers are by definition, self-employed. We work for lots of different clients, on a single-job-contract basis. Just like bigger units, in fact. ultimately, this survey is just going to gather data for the units. The way its structured means you won't actually know how many people are freelancers, so it won't be a profile of the profession. What's the point of it?
\"Whoever understands the pottery, understands the site\" - Wheeler
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