On the importance of blind testing in archaeological science: the example from lithic functional studies
On the importance of blind testing in archaeological science: the example from lithic functional studies
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DOI：
10.1016/j.jas.2013.10.026
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发表时间：
2014-08-01
影响因子：
2.8
通讯作者：
Evans, Adrian Anthony
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Evans, Adrian Anthony
盲测是所有分析领域都应该使用的重要工具，作为验证方法的方法。考古科学之外的几个领域在这方面做得很好。不幸的是，许多应用方法没有建立在盲测的坚实基础上，而盲测应该被认为是必要的。历史上石质微磨损分析已经接受过此类测试，其结果引起了相当大的争论。然而，抛开这一点，这里有人认为这些测试尚未得到充分利用。太多的注意力集中在基本结果及其含义上，而不是使用测试作为改进方法的强大工具。在这里，我们以新的眼光重新审视和审查测试。这种方法用于突出发展研究可以针对的方法论弱点的特定领域。它说明了在方法评估中拥有一致设计的盲测大数据集的价值，并表明石器微磨损分析等领域将从此类测试中受益匪浅。还借此机会讨论了石器功能研究中定量方法的最新发展，以及这些技术如何与当前实践相结合。 (C) 2014 年作者。由 Elsevier Ltd 出版。这是一篇基于 CC BY 许可证 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) 的开放获取文章。
Blind-testing is an important tool that should be used by all analytical fields as an approach for validating method. Several fields do this well outside of archaeological science. It is unfortunate that many applied methods do not have a strong underpinning built on, what should be considered necessary, blind-testing. Historically lithic microwear analysis has been subjected to such testing, the results of which stirred considerable debate. However, putting this aside, it is argued here that the tests have not been adequately exploited. Too much attention has been focused on basic results and the implications of those rather than using the tests as a powerful tool to improve the method. Here the tests are revisited and reviewed in a new light. This approach is used to highlight specific areas of methodological weakness that can be targeted by developmental research. It illustrates the value in having a large dataset of consistently designed blind-tests in method evaluation and suggests that fields such as lithic microwear analysis would greatly benefit from such testing. Opportunity is also taken to discuss recent developments in quantitative methods within lithic functional studies and how such techniques might integrate with current practices. (C) 2014 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).