Digital Public Archaeology in a Time of Crisis: investigating and improving the real world impact of online engagement in the UK

危机时期的数字公共考古学：调查和改善英国在线参与的现实世界影响

• 批准号: 2278782
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of York
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2278782
• 关键词: Digital; Public; Archaeology; Time; Crisis

This project will provide a critical analysis of digital public outreach undertaken in commercial archaeology. Over 90% of the UK's archaeological excavations involve commercial units (Fulford 2011) but there is yet to be any detailed analysis of digital outreach. Given the changing communication landscape it is critical for archaeologists to understand the reach and impact of these new technologies.This research is particularly timely as British archaeology faces serious challenges, notably a widespread shortage of skills and government cuts to core services. Demonstrating the impact of public outreach using online media, e.g. Facebook, is critical for demonstrating archaeology's value to society. Indeed, the UK's two leading archaeological agencies, the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA), have stated that the value, engagement and impact of digital media are critical, time-sensitive issues that must be addressed. Both agencies have enthusiastically endorsed this project.This proposal builds on my innovative social media engagement work on the UK Must Farm Bronze Age excavation and my MSc dissertation that conducted qualitative analysis of its social media metrics and content analysis of user comments. I identified an imperative to understand public audiences, the nature of user interactions on archaeological social media, and a wide ranging examination of current commercial digital engagement initiatives.Previous research on digital public archaeology has largely focused on characterising its components (Bonacchi & Moshenska 2015) or the use of specific social media platforms (e.g. Twitter) (Richardson 2012). Where researchers have explored social media use in heritage they have highlighted the paucity of critical studies and analyses of impact (Bonacchi 2012; Walker 2014), drawn on limited datasets or been overly quantitative (Perry & Beale 2015). This PhD will build on this research and create a substantial dataset to evaluate current digital public engagement of UK commercial archaeology.I will first create a database of commercial archaeological organisations (using the CIfA members list), focusing on social media platforms. Quantitative data sampled from a representative timeframe will then be collected. This will include core metrics (likes, reactions) and more interactive representations of engagement (comments, shares with text). Interactive engagements will be further coded with qualitative content analysis, using a new combined framework incorporating my MSc Must Farm research.The metrics-derived database and coded content analysis of user engagements would be augmented with case studies. Case studies would involve the ongoing Must Farm communiques and recent online outreach from excavations at Black Loch (Scot.) by AOC Archaeology, and the Museum of London Archaeology.Questionnaires and targeted interviews with stakeholders will be used to characterise audiences beyond algorithm-driven social media metrics. Interviews can better inform issues of accessibility and inclusivity by exploring individuals' backgrounds, prior interactions and perceptions of archaeology.This research will produce a sizable, mixed dataset to identify the most impactful use of social media for archaeologists. Working with the external partner (CBA), I will create a best practice document, followed by a series of workshops for commercial archaeological units and community-based local history and archaeology societies to engage effectively with social media to communicate archaeological research. Working with a broad range of archaeologists will strengthen and nuance archaeological science communication. While the research focus is the UK, this work is of international interest and significance. Globally, archaeologists are working to improve online communication of archaeology to combat nationalist uses of the past. This research will directly support this effort.

该项目将提供一个在商业考古进行的数字公共宣传的批判性分析。超过90%的英国考古发掘涉及商业单位（Fulford 2011），但还没有任何详细的分析数字推广。鉴于不断变化的通信景观，考古学家了解这些新技术的范围和影响至关重要。这项研究特别及时，因为英国考古学面临严重挑战，特别是普遍缺乏技能和政府削减核心服务。利用Facebook等在线媒体展示公众宣传的影响，对于展示考古学对社会的价值至关重要。事实上，英国的两个主要考古机构，英国考古学理事会（CBA）和考古学家特许研究所（CifA）已经表示，数字媒体的价值，参与和影响是必须解决的关键，时间敏感的问题。这两个机构都热情地认可了这个项目。这个提议建立在我对英国必须农场青铜时代挖掘的创新社交媒体参与工作和我的硕士论文的基础上，我对社交媒体指标进行了定性分析，并对用户评论进行了内容分析。我确定了一个必要的了解公众受众，用户在考古社交媒体上互动的性质，以及对当前商业数字参与倡议的广泛审查。以前对数字公共考古学的研究主要集中在描述其组成部分（Bonacchi & Mohenska 2015）或使用特定的社交媒体平台（例如Twitter）（Richardson 2012）。在研究人员探索社交媒体在遗产中的使用时，他们强调了批评性研究和影响分析的缺乏（Bonacchi 2012;步行者2014），基于有限的数据集或过于量化（佩里和比尔2015）。这个博士学位将建立在这项研究的基础上，并创建一个实质性的数据集，以评估目前英国商业考古的数字公众参与。我将首先创建一个商业考古组织的数据库（使用CIFA成员名单），专注于社交媒体平台。然后将收集从代表性时间段采样的定量数据。这将包括核心指标（喜欢，反应）和更多互动的参与表示（评论，与文本共享）。互动参与将进一步编码与定性内容分析，使用一个新的组合框架，结合我的硕士必须农场的研究。度量派生的数据库和编码的内容分析的用户参与将增加案例研究。案例研究将涉及正在进行的“必须农场”公报和最近在布莱克洛赫（苏格兰）挖掘的在线宣传。由AOC Archaeology和伦敦考古博物馆主办。将使用问卷和对利益相关者的有针对性的采访，以超越算法驱动的社交媒体指标来吸引受众。访谈可以通过探索个人的背景，先前的互动和对考古学的看法来更好地了解可访问性和包容性问题。这项研究将产生一个相当大的混合数据集，以确定社交媒体对考古学家最有影响力的使用。与外部合作伙伴（CBA）合作，我将创建一个最佳实践文件，然后为商业考古单位和以社区为基础的地方历史和考古学会举办一系列研讨会，以有效地与社交媒体合作，交流考古研究。与广泛的考古学家合作将加强和细微的考古科学交流。虽然研究重点是英国，但这项工作具有国际兴趣和意义。在全球范围内，考古学家正在努力改善考古学的在线交流，以打击民族主义者对过去的利用。这项研究将直接支持这一努力。