Archaeology Data Service DRI Strand A 2021-22
Lead Research Organisation:
University of York
Department Name: Archaeology
Abstract
The Archaeology Data Service (ADS) is the only accredited digital repository for archaeology and heritage data in the UK, with 25 years of experience supporting research, learning and teaching with free, high quality and dependable digital resources. It does this by preserving digital data in the long term, and by promoting and disseminating a broad range of archaeological and historic environment data including both terrestrial and marine resources. The ADS promotes good practice in the use of digital data, provides technical advice to the research community, and supports the deployment of digital technologies.
DRI funding will allow the ADS to undertake remedial infrastructure investment in three core areas, making strategic improvements so that it can build solid foundations for its role in the UKRI digital research infrastructure and TANC programmes: (i) AHRC data deposit: backlog scoping and assessment; (ii) Depositor training, and (iii) ADS technical infrastructure investment.
DRI funding will allow the ADS to undertake remedial infrastructure investment in three core areas, making strategic improvements so that it can build solid foundations for its role in the UKRI digital research infrastructure and TANC programmes: (i) AHRC data deposit: backlog scoping and assessment; (ii) Depositor training, and (iii) ADS technical infrastructure investment.
Organisations
Publications
Anon
(2022)
ADS Annual Report 2021-22
Richards J
(2021)
Archiving Archaeological Data in the United Kingdom
in Internet Archaeology
| Description | The award allowed ADS to invest in critical research infrastructure to allow us to support AHRC grant-holders in meeting their obligations for long term data preservation and online access. |
| Exploitation Route | The outcomes are being taken forward through further investment. We developed a training programme to improve the quality of data deposited which was rolled out in 2022-23 and we also undertook a survey of AHRC grant holders to identify legacy projects. These were prioritised for rescue and archiving and that work is underway under our 2023-25 IDAH continuation funding |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk |
| Description | The improvements made to our web site are of benefit to (i) commercial sector users, for example archaeological contractors working in the construction industry, (ii) public sector bodies, including national heritage agencies , and (iii) the wider public, including those undertaking voluntary archaeological recording. Standards guidelines have been updated: https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/help-guidance/guides-to-good-practice/ and instructions for depositors have been made easier to access https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/help-guidance/instructions-for-depositors/ and streamlined. This has also had a positive impact on non-academic users of our service for whom it is much easier to find and deposit data, creating an economic saving, and we have begun to see a major increase in the commercial archaeology archives being deposited |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Construction,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic |
| Description | 'Unpath'd Waters': Marine and Maritime Collections in the UK |
| Amount | £2,908,922 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/W003384/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2021 |
| End | 10/2024 |
| Description | ADS infrastructure IDAH funding 2023-2025 |
| Amount | £538,907 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/Y007441/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | CONNECTED: Connecting trusted Arts and Humanities data repositories |
| Amount | £93,497 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/W00755X/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2022 |
| End | 06/2022 |
| Description | Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS) |
| Amount | £14,400,004 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/Z505705/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2024 |
| End | 06/2029 |
| Title | Archaeology Data Service website |
| Description | DRI funding allowed ADS to commission a UX / UI study of our website, and subsequently to completely rebuild the website so that it is now fully compliant with disability guidelines. The branding has been refreshed and given a much more modern look. Navigability has been transformed. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | The website is now much more accessible to all research users and usage has increased |
| URL | https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/ |