From The Ground Up The Publication of Archaeological Projects a user needs survey

Appendices

Appendix 3.1: Questionnaire

This questionnaire is part of an extensive survey, being conducted by the Council for British Archaeology, focussing on how archaeological publications, especially those concerning fieldwork, are being used and what users need and expect from them. By completing this questionnaire you have a real opportunity to influence the debate on publication and ensure that user needs and opinions are taken into consideration when policy decisions are made in the future.

The questionnaire includes questions about:

• how you locate archaeological information
• how and why you use fieldwork publications and archives, and what you need from them
• your views on the principles behind the publication of archaeological fieldwork projects and their content
• your access to various types of publication media and your views on them

Your response will be confidential. Your name will not be used in the report or disclosed to anyone outside the survey team. If you have any questions about this, or the questionnaire in general, please contact the Project Officer, Siân Jones, The Council for British Archaeology, St Mary's House, 66 Bootham, York YO30 7BZ, email sjones1@dial.pipex.com.

Thank you for your help.

1. Personal details

In this section we wish to obtain some details about you to allow us to assess the results of the survey. These details are very important. Without them, we will not be able to make full use of the rest of your responses to the questionnaire.

1.1 Name and address:
(Please use either your work or home address depending on which is most relevant to your involvement in archaeology)

Name:

Address:

County/District:

Postcode:

Country:

NB Even if you have an objection to stating your name and address, it is very important that you tell us your postcode, county/district and country.

1.2 How old are you?

() 18 or under
() 19-24
() 25-34
() 35-44
() 45-54
() 55-64
() 65 or over

1.3 Are you:

() female
() male

1.4a Which of the following constituencies describe(s) your position(s) with relation to archaeology?
(If you belong to more than one of these, please indicate primary, secondary and tertiary constituences and then use the final column to tick any other(s). N.B. 'Primary' should be that constituency which you devote most time to, and so on)

1.4b Are you actively engaged in archaeological research in any of the constituencies which you ticked and/or outside of them?

() Yes
() No

If 'yes', please tell us which of your constituencies, if any involves you in active research?

1.5 What is your current employment status with relation to archaeology?
(Please tick all those which apply)

() Employed full-time in archaeology
() Employed part-time in archaeology
() Self-employed in archaeology
() Unemployed archaeologist
() Engaged in full-time study in archaeology
() Engaged in part-time study in archaeology
() Involved in archaeology on a voluntary basis
() Retired
() Other (please specify):

1.6 Which archaeological societies / organisations do you belong to?
(Please tick the listed organisations where applicable and add any additional ones below)

() Council for British Archaeology/Council for Scottish Archaeology (and regional/national variants)
() Council for Independent Archaeology
() Institute of Field Archaeologists
() Irish Association of Professional Archaeologists
() Other(s):

1.7 What are your main archaeological interest(s) / field(s) of study?
(Please indicate subject(s), region(s) and period(s). If your archaeological interests are solely of a general nature, just state 'general'. N.B. Include those relating to employment, if any)

1.8 Have you ever written (or directly contributed to) any of the following types of archaeological publication?
(Please tick all those which apply)

() Fieldwork publication(s)
() Publications on specific subjects / regions / periods (syntheses)
() Publications on theory / method
() Publications on heritage / management
() Policy / legislation document(s)
() Museum collection catalogue(s)
() Popular archaeological publication(s) (inc. site/exhibition guides)
() Other(s) (please specify):

2. How you obtain information and use archaeological publications in general

In this section we want to find out how you locate archaeological information and how you use archaeological publications in general. Please give us as much information as possible. You may feel that answers such as 'not useful' or 'don't know' are in some way negative, but they are just as important as any other answer, so please do not leave them blank.

2.1 How useful do you find the following sources of information for maintaining an overview of recent work in your field(s) of study / area(s) of interest?
(Please tick one box per row)

2.2 Do you feel that there is relevant information being produced in your field(s) of study / area(s) of interest that you are not aware of?

() No
() Yes, sometimes
() Yes, often

If 'yes' please give reasons:

2.3 How do you obtain the archaeological publications which you use?
(Please indicate the most important means, the second most important means, and the third, and then tick any others)

2.4 In general, how often do you monitor relevant journals and other sources of information specifically to maintain an awareness of recent fieldwork projects in the following regions / countries?
(Please tick one box per row)

2.5a In the last 6 months, how often have you used the following types of archaeological publication?
(Please tick one box per row)

NB For definition of 'use' and 'grey literature' see front page.

2.5b Is this 6-month period representative of your normal pattern of use of these types of publication?

() yes
() no
() don't know / no opinion

If 'no', how does it differ from your normal pattern:

3. Specific uses of fieldwork publications

In this section we wish to find out about how you use fieldwork publications and project archives (if at all) and how this relates to your archaeological interests / work / research generally. We also wish to find out whether you are able to obtain the information that you need from these sources.

NB For definitions of 'use', 'fieldwork project', 'fieldwork publication', 'published work', 'grey literature', and 'archive' see front page.

3.1 In the last 12 months, how many fieldwork publications have you used?
(Please tick one box per row)

3.2 When you use fieldwork publications, how often do you use the following typical components?
(Please tick one box per row)

3.3 When you use fieldwork publications, how often do you use them for each of the following purposes?
(Please tick one box per row)

3.4 In general, do fieldwork publications provide you with all the information that you need for the above purposes?

() Yes
() No

If 'no', how could they be improved for your purposes? (NB please tell us about any typical shortcomings rather than individual exceptions)

3.5a How often do you critically assess the interpretations presented in fieldwork publications through a detailed reading of the account of the structures / contexts / upstanding features, and the specialist artefacts and ecofact reports?
(Please tick one box only)

3.5b What problems have you encountered in this task, if any?
(Please distinguish between recent (post 1975) and older publications if relevant)

3.6a In the last 12 months, how many times have you followed up the use of fieldwork publications by consulting their respective archives?
(Please do not include multiple visits to the same project archive)

If your answer to both sections was '0', please go to question 3.7.

3.6b Which of the following categories of archive material did you use?
(Please tick one box per row)

3.6c In general, how easy was it to use the following categories of archive material:
(Please tick one box per row)

3.6d Were you able to obtain the information which you needed from the archives that you used?

() Yes
() No

If 'no', please tell us why:

3.7 Have you, at any time, wished to use a project archive (or part of one) and been unable to do so?

() No, I've never wished to do so
() No, I've always been able to do so
() Yes

If 'yes' please give reason(s):

3.8 Have you any comments about your own use of fieldwork publications and archives, and your needs, that have not been covered by the questions in this section?

4. Principles of fieldwork publication

In this section we wish to find out what you expect from fieldwork publications and the values which you place on them. The questions relate to your general views on fieldwork publications rather than your own specific uses and needs.

4.1a Is there a need for a better system for reporting on recent / ongoing fieldwork projects within the British Isles on a regular basis, either in a single publication, or a series of regional / national publications?
(Please give reasons for your answer)

() Yes (go to 4.1b)
() No (go to 4.2)
() Don't know (go to 4.2)

Reason(s):

4.1b Which of the following elements would you like to see included as part of this system of notification?
(Please tick as many as you wish)

() A list of brief details of all fieldwork projects
() Brief reports of fieldwork projects summarising the circumstances and objectives of the project, the main results, and the contents and location of the archive
() Overviews of selected themes relating to recent / ongoing fieldwork projects
() Don't know / no opinion
() Other (please specify):

4.2 What should be the purpose(s) of publishing the results of a fieldwork project?
(Please tick as many as you wish)

() To provide a brief report of the circumstances and objectives of the project, the main results, and the contents and location of the archive
() To provide a concise but full description of the primary data for wider dissemination with minimal analysis and interpretation
() To provide a concise but full description of the primary data with in-depth analysis and interpretation
() To provide an in-depth analysis and interpretation supported by selective reference to the primary data
() To provide a synthetic, narrative history based on the project
() To provide information about the site for the interested lay-reader
() Don't know / no opinion
() Other (specify):

Any further comments about the purposes of publishing fieldwork projects:

4.3 In general, do you think that recent (post 1975) fieldwork publications would benefit from more, just the same amount, or less of the following:
(Tick one box per row)

4.4 Do you think that the quantity of 'grey literature' fieldwork publications being produced constitutes a problem for the discipline?
(Please give reasons for your answer)

() Yes
() No
() Don't know / no opinion

Reason(s):

4.5a Do you think that there is an inadequate relationship between fieldwork projects (and the publications that result from them) and research / publications concerned with the synthesis of archaeological knowledge (e.g. about particular subjects, periods and regions)?
(Please give reasons for your answer)

() Yes (go to 4.5b)
() No (go to 4.6)
() Don't know / no opinion (go to 4.6)

Reason(s):

4.5b What steps should be taken to overcome this inadequate relationship?

() Fieldwork publications should contain more synthesis
() Measures should be devised to encourage more research and publication which combine results from a number of fieldwork projects to provide broader synthesis
() Fieldwork projects should originate, and be designed and undertaken, within research frameworks directly aimed at syntheses of archaeological knowledge
() Other (please specify):

4.6 Do you think that fieldwork publications represent an appropriate means of disseminating information to the public? If not how should such dissemination be achieved?
(Please give reasons for your answer)

() Yes
() No
() Don't know / no opinion

Reason(s):

4.7 Do you have any further comments about the publication of fieldwork projects and their relation to the overall research environment of the discipline, as well as the presentation of archaeological knowledge to lay audiences?

5. Publication media and content

In this section we wish to find out about what access you have to various types of communication media and your attitudes towards the use of these media for publication.

5.1 Do you currently have access (or plan for access) to:
(Please tick one box per row)

5.2 In general, do you prefer to read from:
(Please grade 1-4 in order of preference, 1 being your highest preference)

() Professionally published or books and journals
() Photocopies (from printed sources or microfiche) and computer print-out
() Computer screen
() Microfiche reader

5.3 How useful do you find the following computerised services in connection with your archaeological work / interests?
(Please tick one box per row)

5.4 What publication mechanism, conventional print, Internet and / or CD-ROM, would you like to see being used for the following types of archaeological publications?
(Please tick as many boxes per row as you wish)

5.5a Have you ever used archaeological fieldwork publications on the Internet?

() Yes (go to 5.5b)
() No (go to 5.6)

5.5b Did you have sufficient skills to view / use all the features of the publication that you wished to view / use?

() Yes
() No

If 'No', what did you find difficult?

5.5c Please answer the following questions:
(Please tick one box per row)

5.6 Electronic publication can allow the incorporation of 3-D modelling, video and sound. Would such developments in publication be useful for your requirements?
(Please tick one box)

() very much so
() somewhat
() not at all
() don't know / no opinion

5.7 Do you think that project archives should be available on the Internet?

() Yes
() No
() Don't know know / no opinion

5.8 At present, many publications on the Internet can be accessed free of charge (once you have paid for the connection costs). In future, would you be prepared to buy access to specific publications if you had the opportunity to browse them first?
(Please tick one box per row, and give reasons for your answer)

Reason(s):

6. Open section for any other comments

Please use this section to make any further comments on the publication of fieldwork projects, or this questionnaire. You may continue on a separate sheet if you wish.

Thank you for completing this questionnaire.

Please return it to us by Friday 12 June 1998. There is a pre-paid envelope enclosed for your convenience.

The Project Officer
The Publication of Archaeological Projects: a User Needs Survey
Council for British Archaeology
St Mary's House
66 Bootham
York, YO30 7BZ

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