Research Beyond Mitigation and Universities: Maximising the Impact of Community

[Doug]

[URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZg0XZYXKZo"]

The things we think and do not say: the future of our business.[/URL]
[video=youtube;zZg0XZYXKZo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZg0XZYXKZo[/video]

Brendon Wilkins and Lisa Westcott Wilkins - The things we think and do not say: the future of our business.

Throughout the UK, measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Historic Environment have subtly shifted. With the Great Recession has come a growing requirement for both the academic and commercial sectors to demonstrate efficiency and value to the taxpayer, ensuring a research dividend and latterly, community participation. In economic terms, this improvement can be thought of as a sustaining innovation, in that it doesn't disrupt the archaeology market, but rather evolves existing provision to deliver increased value. In this paper we will consider other potentially disruptive innovations afforded by new digital technologies that enable us to co-create value with our respective communities. These socially embedded technologies (such as crowdfunding, crowdsourcing and continual, real-time beta phase publishing) are not disruptive in and of themselves, but rather the opportunity for advancement lies in the social process they are unlocking. These technologies present archaeologists with a multitude of opportunities to do things differently; they open new vistas for co-created projects, ultimately realising the value of archaeological research through a truly social method.

[Doug]

last one

Zero Budget Archaeology in Local Authorities as Both a Service and a Research Tool
[video=youtube;etRAPDWBCro]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etRAPDWBCro[/video]

Murray Cook and Fiona Watson - Community Archaeology or Archaeology for the Community: Zero Budget Archaeology in Local Authorities as Both a Service and a Research Tool

Current academic paradigms regarding the nature of 'Community Archaeology' i.e. of the people, by the people and for the people divert from the core inspiration of the projects: people like archaeology and are frustrated at the lack of opportunities to engage and participate in it. Some will develop their own projects but most will not and even those that do run their own may not wish to keep doing it. At the same time the construction of any research agenda is ultimately an inter-play of the potential knowledge to be gained and the most appropriate use of finite funds and resources. However in many cases the existing knowledge base is close to zero and any new information represents a significant research gain. Community archaeology and citizen science can offer a potentially unlimited supply of resources to undertake archaeological excavations as well as other forms of engagement with the material and immaterial remains of the past that widen our knowledge base. It is argued here that archaeology as a discipline is best served through as much public access and engagement as possible, so that taxpayers can visibly see the benefit. As a consequence Local Authorities and other public bodies should be exploring a variety of mechanisms to provide archaeology as a service. This paper concludes with an exploration of the situation in Stirling Council, where a part time archaeological position, a training placement and a zero budget have been used to build a sustainable research and engagement platform achieved through partnership working and a shared ethos of improving access to archaeology.

[Marc Berger]

Very good effort Doug.

I don't know which one to go to first. It could be helpful if there was a bit more synopsis, if not a transcript and résumé of the speakers. Cant help wondering why hosty is at an algao meeting. from a videoing an ifa meeting point of view is there anything that you would have done differently?

[Doug]

I can add the abstracts to the videos, give me a few minutes and I will add them (will have authors too). Transcript- oh man I would love that but it would probably take me a day per video. Would have to be done by hand as I have tried to use programs but it doesn't work to well.

I would add not really an algao meeting as it is open to everyone but as I say that I realize that about half of the speakers in the session were council archs. I think that has more to do with the session as councils tend to be first port of calls for communities. Other sessions were more commercial or university based.

Let me have a think about your last question. After I post the abstracts I'll answer that.

[Marc Berger]

Could the speakers give a transcript?

[Doug]

A good possibility for some. I know some people just talk and don't have a script but others write out their paper. Will ask and see what I can do.

From videoing point of view- I had not thought about this till you mentioned it but in the future I am probably going to start to ask about transcripts. (thanks for raising that issue). There were issues with the sound in the room- echos that made the sound for these videos a bit poor. For the last 2 conferences I did, after this one. I have been taken the sound directly from microphones to get rid of this problem, so a learning experience on my part.

The most important aspect would be more videoing- lots of people didn't make it to the conference and there was over a hundred presentations. I was only able to video this one session but there was lots of other great conversations that were had. It would be cool if I could do this on a larger scale.

Was that what you wanted to know or more about the conference in general?

[Marc Berger]

over one hundred presentations - although that's probably only about 10% of the algao membership which is impressive especially when the majority of archaeology is just a few watching briefs here and there.

You obviously asked for permission to video. It sounds like you did it on your own volition. A little more professionalism and /feedback and the ifa could produce these videos (possibly in real time/daily) and get a feedback forum-questions and answers going with the presenters-video conference of the conference. You should be paid to get it going. Its a bloody obvious future for all "conferences" and maybe it would make the politics behind the venue irrelevant. Apparently the Qatar football World Cup venue is a bit of a scandal. I wonder if there was somebody in Glasgow greasing the ifas path to their hotels if only if it generates a bit of publicity? If you go a full entertainment route you could do a pre presentation build-up/interview and a post presentation analysis/interview, then roundup- how about a podium finish/prise for best presentation, gold silver bronze. You could add in a few categories-newcomers, prize for a career service to archaeological preservations-male-female-foreign-best pet community metal detector story. Get a red carpet. Doug make it so. You got my vote.

Bloody good transcripts thanks

[Marc Berger]

I have just managed to get half way through hostys jovial mumblings- where can I go and rid my mouth of the froth that has been generated?

[In the Pit]

Very good effort Doug.

I don't know which one to go to first. It could be helpful if there was a bit more synopsis, if not a transcript and résumé of the speakers. Cant help wondering why hosty is at an algao meeting. from a videoing an ifa meeting point of view is there anything that you would have done differently?

Why the repeated reference to ALGAO? This was at the IfA annual shindig, nowt to do with ALGAO! Although as Doug says there were a fair few Local Authority archs in the session, largely because of the nature of the session.

Thanks for posting Doug, good to catch up on the ones I missed!

[Marc Berger]

Although as Doug says there were a fair few Local Authority archs in the session, largely because of the nature of the session.

Were the other sessions much different? Did you sort your grey lit issues out? Kinda topic that could do with a bit of a session at an ifa bash. There is an algao coming up soon http://www.algao.org.uk/calendar cant work out whats on their agenda though. Doug are have you got your video out for the next algao swanee?