Googling the Grey: Open Data, Web Services, and Semantics

Archaeologies, Aug 2010

Primary data, though an essential resource for supporting authoritative archaeological narratives, rarely enters the public record. Lack of primary data publication is also a major obstacle to cultural heritage preservation and the goals of cultural resource management (CRM). Moreover, access to primary data is key to contesting claims about the past and to the formulation of credible alternative interpretations. In response to these concerns, experimental systems have implemented a variety of strategies to support online publication of primary data. Online data dissemination can be a powerful tool to meet the needs of CRM professionals, establish better communication and collaborative ties with colleagues in academic settings, and encourage public engagement with the documented record of the past. This paper introduces the ArchaeoML standard and its implementation in the Open Context system. As will be discussed, the integration and online dissemination of primary data offer great opportunities for making archaeological knowledge creation more participatory and transparent. However, different strategies in this area involve important trade-offs, and all face complex conceptual, ethical, legal, and professional challenges.

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Googling the Grey: Open Data, Web Services, and Semantics

0 Margie M. Burton and Cindy Stankowski, San Diego Archaeological Center , Escondido, CA, USA 1 Sarah Whitcher Kansa, Alexandria Archive Institute , San Francisco, CA, USA 2 Eric C. Kansa, School of Information , UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA 3 Googling the Grey: Open Data, Web Services , and Semantics - Primary data, though an essential resource for supporting authoritative archaeological narratives, rarely enters the public record. Lack of primary data publication is also a major obstacle to cultural heritage preservation and the goals of cultural resource management (CRM). Moreover, access to primary data is key to contesting claims about the past and to the formulation of credible alternative interpretations. In response to these concerns, experimental systems have implemented a variety of strategies to support online publication of primary data. Online data dissemination can be a powerful tool to meet the needs of CRM professionals, establish better communication and collaborative ties with colleagues in academic settings, and encourage public engagement with the documented record of the past. This paper introduces the ArchaeoML standard and its implementation in the Open Context system. As will be discussed, the integration and online dissemination of primary data offer great opportunities for making archaeological knowledge creation more participatory and transparent. However, different strategies in this area involve important trade-offs, and all face complex conceptual, ethical, legal, and professional challenges. ________________________________________________________________ Since Open Context is operated in the United States, the European Unions database protection laws are less applicable. Similar systems in the European Union would need appropriate policies to insure the legal reusability of database content. Resume : Les donne es primaires, bien que sources dinformation essentielles pour e tayer les re cits arche ologiques faisant autorite , deviennent rarement de notorie te publique. Labsence de publication des donne es primaires est e galement un obstacle majeur pour la pre servation du patrimoine culturel et pour les objectifs de gestion des informations culturelles. En outre, lacce`s aux donne es primaires est un e lement crucial pour contester les affirmations sur le passe et formuler dautres interpre tations plausibles. En re ponse a` ces pre occupations, les syste` mes expe rimentaux ont mis en uvre un certain nombre de strate gies pour soutenir la publication en ligne des donne es primaires. La diffusion de donne es en ligne peut e tre un outil puissant pour re pondre aux besoins des professionnels de gestion des informations culturelles, e tablir une meilleure communication et de velopper des liens de collaboration avec des colle` gues dans les milieux universitaires, ainsi que pour favoriser la participation du public envers la documentation du passe reposant sur des recherches se rieuses. Cette e tude pre sente la technologie de re ference ArchaeoML et sa mise en uvre dans le syste` me Open Context. Comme on le verra, linte gration et la diffusion en ligne de donne es primaires offrent de grandes possibilite s pour rendre la cre ation des connaissances arche ologiques plus participative et transparente. Toutefois, les differentes strate gies dans ce domaine impliquent dimportants compromis, et tous font face a` des de fis complexes dordre conceptuel, e thique, juridique et professionnel. ________________________________________________________________ Resumen: Aunque los datos basicos constituyen un recurso de apoyo esencial para las narrativas arqueolo gicas acreditadas, rara vez entran en el registro p ublico. La no publicacio n de los datos basicos es un obstaculo importante para preservar el patrimonio cultural y los objetivos de la gestio n de recursos culturales. Es mas, el acceso a los datos basicos es clave para responder a reclamaciones sobre el pasado y para formular interpretaciones alternativas y crebles. En respuesta a estas preocupaciones, sistemas experimentales han puesto en marcha una serie de estrategias para fomentar la publicacio n en lnea de los datos basicos. La difusio n de los datos en lnea puede ser una poderosa herramienta para cubrir las necesidades de los profesionales de la gestio n de recursos culturales, establecer una comunicacio n mejor y nexos de colaboraci on con los compa neros en los entornos acade micos y fomentar el compromiso pu blico con el registro documentado del pasado. Este trabajo presenta el estandar ArchaeoML y su implementacio n en el sistema Open Context. Segu n se argumenta, la integracio n y la difusio n en lnea de los datos basicos ofrecen grandes oportunidades para lograr que la creacio n de conocimientos arqueol ogicos sea mas participativa y transparente. No obstante, las distintas estrategias en este campo implican importantes pros y contras, y todas encaran complejos retos conceptuales, e ticos, legales y profesionales. (...truncated)


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Eric C. Kansa, Sarah Whitcher Kansa, Margie M. Burton, Cindy Stankowski. Googling the Grey: Open Data, Web Services, and Semantics, Archaeologies, 2010, pp. 301-326, Volume 6, Issue 2, DOI: 10.1007/s11759-010-9146-4