(1) Overview

Context

Description: Data collected online, so no geographic source information collected.

Temporal coverage

(2) Methods

Steps

The platform for data collection through online survey for this thesis was the UCL-supported Opinio survey software designed by ObjectPlanet Inc. The survey software is a web-based survey tool, which is available free of charge to UCL staff and postgraduate researchers. The survey contains a mixture of open and closed questions covering the use of different aspects of using the Internet to access archaeological information and participate in online discussion and public engagement with archaeological topics.

Sampling strategy

The survey was especially targeted at members of the public active in the UK voluntary archaeology sector. Links to the online survey were posted on the Britarch Forum, included in print through the British Archaeology magazine, and by directly emailing an invitation to participate with the survey’s URL to community archaeology groups, professional archaeologists and UK based archaeological organisations. I also posted the call for participation through my own website and Twitter account and posted the link and call for participation on a wide variety of UK-based archaeology-related Facebook pages.

(3) Dataset description

Object name

Richardson, Lorna (2014): Using the Internet for Archaeology.

Data type

Primary data

Format names and versions

CSV

Creation dates

07/02/2013 – 07/04/2013

Language

English

License

CC-BY

Publication date

04/01/2015

(4) Reuse potential

This survey received 577 responses to 24 questions, so contains over 1000 individual answers. There is scope for using these data for further analysis of the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the survey results, better demographic understanding of Internet use in Public Archaeology, sentiment analysis, and use of these data for reference both within the discipline of archaeology and the wider digital humanities community. These data offer potential for more analysis of the types of archaeological information sought through the Internet, data on the methods of accessing this information, restraints and benefits for the use of social media for public engagement, and the types and locations of community and networking in archaeology online.