Archaeological Training in an Open Access World: Lessons from the REWARD Project (Researchers using Existing Workflows to Archive Research Data).

a.sakellariadi@ucl.ac.uk www.ubiquitypress.com / @ubiquitypress
UCL LIBRARY SERVICES
INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY
75 YEARS OF LEADING GLOBAL ARCHAEOLOGY2012
Archaeological Training in an Open Access World:
Anastasia Sakellariadi (UCL Institute of Archaeology & Ubiquity Press)
Brian Hole (UCL Institute of Archaeology & Ubiquity Press)
Lessons from the REWARD Project
(Researchers using Existing Workflows to Archive Research Data)

Overview:
• The case for REWARD
• REWARD and its aims
• The case studies
• Methodology
• Findings from the case studies
• The UCL Institute of Archaeology online survey
• Findings from the survey
• Discussion

The case for REWARD
• Researchers highly value re-analysis of existing data for:
 its potential for future validation purposes
 its role in the advancement of science
 Its potential for stimulating interdisciplinary collaborations
 especially appealing in a tight funding environment
• However,
 81% of researchers store their data on a PC at work
 66% use portable storage
 51% use a PC at home
 only 20% use a digital archive
(PARSE.Insight 2010, Insight into Digital Preservation of Research Output in Europe: Insight Report.
RIN 2011, Reinventing Research? Information Practices in the Humanities. RIN)

REWARD and its aims
• Greater culture change can be achieved by coupling data archiving with existing research
workflow for research paper publication and associated incentives, such as citation tracking,
and rewards.
• Publishing papers existing workflow only needs to be slightly tweaked to include data
archiving.
Pilot project at the UCL Institute of Archaeology (10/2011 – 03/2012):
• To establish best practices for data archiving, dissemination and reuse at the UCL Institute of
Archaeology
• To introduce data management planning and the use of the Digital Curation Centre (DCC)
DMP Online tool
• To pilot infrastructure integration

The case studies:
1. Spatial Approaches to the Political and Commercial Landscapes of the Old Assyrian Colony
Period – GIS
2. Spatial and Temporal Models of Jomon Settlements – GIS
3. The Relationship Between Popular Science and Public Archaeology in Early Nineteenth
Century Britain – History of Archaeology
4. Tourism and the Economic Capital of Archaeology: Measurement and Management for
Preservation – Cultural Heritage
5. From Plastic Drain Pipes and Satellite Dishes to Coastal Flooding: Archaeological Heritage
within Standing Buildings: Why Do People in England not Comply with the Legislative and
Regulatory Framework for the Protection of Archaeological Heritage in Listed Buildings and
Conservation Areas – Cultural Heritage /Visual Data
6. The Muisca Metallurgist in Context – Archaeological Material Science
7. Communicating Archaeology: Public Perceptions and Experience in a Changing Media
Environment – Cultural Heritage /Quantitative Data

• Initial interview
• Use of the DCC DMP Online Tool and logbook for monitoring of use
• Provision of research-specific information as well as information on UCL’s Open
Access Mandate and Code of Conduct for Researchers
• Review of DMP Online plan
• Final interview
• Data paper and data deposition walk-through
• Further support during data paper submission to the Journal of Open Archaeology
Data and data deposition to UCL Discovery
Methodology:

Findings from the case studies:
• Creation and Use
• Documentation
• Protection and Storage
• Assessment
• Ownership
• Preservation
• Re-use
• Licensing
• Sharing
• Management
• Citation
• Other Requirements

The UCL Institute of Archaeology online survey
• In Google Docs form
• Emailed to members of the ioa-staff and ioa-mphil mailing lists
• 15 closed questions (yes/no, multiple choice and tick-box ones)
• Open for nine days
• 32 responses (very low response rate, not stratified sample, therefore not
representative)

1. What is your gender?
Male 53%
Female 47%
2. What is your age group?
Bigger groups of responses:
1. 38% 25-34 years old
2. 28% 35-44 years old
3. 19% 45-54 years old

3. What is your current academic role?
1. 44% Research students
2. 13% Lecturers
3. 9% Senior lecturers
4. 9% Professors
4. What is your primary research area?
1. 38% World Archaeology
2. 31% Archaeological Sciences
3. 24% Heritage

5. How important do you think the following reasons for
preserving digital data are?
It will stimulate the advancement of science (new research can
build on existing knowledge).
75% Very important
25% Important
0% Slightly important
0% Not important

It allows for re-analysis of existing data.
69% Very important
31% Important
0% Not important

It may serve validation purposes in the future.
58% Very important
36% Important
0% Not important

If research is publicly funded, the results should become public
property.
50% Very important
41% Important
3% Not important

It may stimulate interdisciplinary collaborations.
47% Very important
41% Important
0% Not important

Data is unique.
44% Very important
22% Important
9% Not important

It potentially has economic value.
9% Very important
31% Important
25% Not important

6. Have you ever shared data through...
96% - has shared data through email contact.
43% - have made it available online.
21% - Research Data Centre
14% - Institutional repository

7. Have you experienced or would you expect to experience any
of the following problems in sharing your data?
63% - Lack of time to prepare
data properly
50% - Incompatible data types
41% - Lack of technical
infrastructure
34% - Misuse of data
31% - Restricted access to data
archive
28% - Legal issues
25% - Lack of financial resources
22% - Loss of competitive
advantage
6% - No problems foreseen

8. To which of the following facilities would you be willing to
submit digital research data in the near future?
Majorities of responses:
81% - Research Data Centre
78% - Institutional repository
75% - Publisher
44% - External web service

9. Have you ever used data from other sources?
84% Yes
13% No
10. Have you ever requested data from another researcher?
75% Yes
22% No

11. Have you ever published in an open access journal?
84% No
13% Yes
12. Do journals to which you typically submit your work require
you to include relevant digital research data (i.e. data used to
create tables, figures, etc.)?
72% No
22% Yes

13. Would you want to be credited when your digital research
data was used by others?
97% Yes
0% No
14. Would other incentives such as course reductions, additional
sabbatical leave dedicated to research, financial support for
research related travels, and support for seminars and financial
incentives motivate you to share research data?
88% Yes
9% No

Findings from the survey:
• Career stage divide
• Confirmation of ‘digital divide’ between subfields
• Importance of making data public rated on scientific criteria
• Little valuation of economic value of research and data
• Good practices in DM to overcome expected problems
• While experienced in requesting and using other data, very few with open access
publications or in journals with data requirements
• Participants confirmed that citation and other incentives would motivate them to share their
research.

Discussion:
• Tweaking of workflow: overall existing workflows already close to good practices
• Incentives: open to data sharing, and while wary of time and cost constraints, did consider a
citable data paper as adequate incentive to do so.
• Training:
o Issues: data preservation, licensing and citation, institutional and funders’ requirements
in regard to open access, research codes of conduct and data management.
o ‘Digital’ divide between subfields
o ‘Sharing cultures’
o ‘Career stage’ divide
o DM based on: validity, ease of access, familiarity and convenience

Thank you!
For further information, please, visit:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/reward
Or contact us at:
Dr Anastasia Sakellariadi
REWARD Research Data Scientist
Email: a.sakellariadi@ucl.ac.uk
Brian Hole
REWARD Project Manager
Email: brian.hole@ubiquitypress.com

Archaeological Training in an Open Access World: Lessons from the REWARD Project (Researchers using Existing Workflows to Archive Research Data).

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