Improving the Usability of Archaeological Data through Written Guidelines

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Faniel, Brittany Brannon, Sarah Whitcher Kansa</h2> </div> <div class="parsyscolumncontrol section"> <div class="parsys_column cq-colctrl-lt2-r"> <div class="parsys_column cq-colctrl-lt2-r-c0"> <div class="col0 parsys"><div class="text parbase section"> <p>Archaeologists frequently use written guidelines such as site manuals, recording forms, and digital prompts during excavations to create usable data within and across projects. Most written guidelines emphasize creating either standardized datasets or narrative summaries; however, previous research has demonstrated that the resulting datasets are often difficult to (re)use. Our study analyzed observations and interviews conducted with four archaeological excavation teams, as well as interviews with archaeological data reusers, to evaluate how archaeologists use and implement written guidelines. These excavation team and reuser experiences suggest that archaeologists need more specific best practices to create and implement written guidelines that improve the quality and usability of archaeological data. We present recommendations to improve written guidelines that focus on a project's methods, end-of-season documentation, and naming practices. We also present a Written Guidelines Checklist to help project directors improve their written guidelines before, during, and after fieldwork as part of a collaborative process. Ideally, these best practices for written guidelines will make it easier for team members and future reusers to incorporate their own and others’ archaeological data into their research.</p> </div> <div class="text parbase section"> <p><span class="link-btn-green"><a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/aap.2023.38" target="_blank" title="View the article">View Article</a></span><br /> <span class="small text-grey"><em>Advances in Archaeological Practice</em></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="parsys_column cq-colctrl-lt2-r-c1"> <div class="col1 parsys"><div class="highlightbox section">  <div class="hbox "> <div class="highlightbox parsys"><div class="image parbase section"> <figure class="figure-stack-image img-center-nobrdr"> <img src="/content/research/publications/2024/improving-usability-archaeological-data-written-guidelines/_jcr_content/par/parsyscolumncontrol/col1/highlightbox/highlightbox/image.img.png/1707320627913.png" alt="Improving the Usability of Archaeological Data through Written Guidelines" title="Students’ Perceptions of Preprints Discovered in Google: A Window into Recognition And Evaluation " class="cq-dd-image"> <figcaption> <div class="img-caption"></div> <div class="img-attribution"></div> </figcaption> </figure></div> </div> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="highlightbox section">  <div class="hbox "> <div class="highlightbox parsys"><div class="text parbase section"> <p>Austin, Anne, Ixchel M. Faniel, Brittany Brannon, and Sarah Whitcher Kansa. 2024. “Improving the Usability of Archaeological Data through Written Guidelines.” <em>Advances in Archaeological Practice</em>, January, 1–12. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/aap.2023.38" title="DOI Link to document">https://doi.org/10.1017/aap.2023.38.</a></p> </div> </div> </div>  </div> <div class="researchactivity section"> </div> <div class="news parbase section"> <div> <article> </article> </div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cont-page extra-info"> <div class="purposestmt iparsys parsys"><div class="section"><div class="new"></div> </div><div class="iparys_inherited"><div class="purposestmt iparsys parsys"><div class="customjavascript section"> <style> #main-content div.extra-info { background: none; } </style></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="footer iparsys parsys"><div class="section"><div class="new"></div> </div><div class="iparys_inherited"><div class="footer iparsys parsys"><div 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Improving the Usability of Archaeological Data through Written Guidelines