The transfer of heritage modelling from research to practice

Abstract Heritage science is an inherently practice-oriented field that aims to support our understanding, and conservation, of heritage. Research is commonly undertaken using laboratory or field-based methodologies, but given the ethical and scale constraints, over time and space, of these approach...

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Main Authors: Jenny Richards, Peter Brimblecombe
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2022-02-01
Series:Heritage Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-022-00650-4
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author Jenny Richards
Peter Brimblecombe
author_facet Jenny Richards
Peter Brimblecombe
author_sort Jenny Richards
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Heritage science is an inherently practice-oriented field that aims to support our understanding, and conservation, of heritage. Research is commonly undertaken using laboratory or field-based methodologies, but given the ethical and scale constraints, over time and space, of these approaches, process-based models should provide a tool for exploring practical solutions. Unlike other fields, such as climate science and ecology, there appears limited engagement with modelling within heritage science. The characteristics and use of processed-based models published in the field is examined to explore tensions in using models to transfer understanding between research and practice. By examining models that investigate interactions between heritage materials and environment, we find that, at best, model outputs may be used by other researchers or occasionally by heritage institutions; or more commonly, the model’s existence is used as a justification of research, yet without meaningful engagement within either the academic and heritage practitioner communities. Some models are unlikely to be used in practice as they have been developed at spatial or temporal scales incompatible with being truly applicable to objects or sites, or can seem to advance theory without engaging with practice. The uptake of models by researchers who rerun or change the code is rare. Models that seem to gain substantial use appear to benefit from graphical user interfaces that make them easy to run. Evidence of models in solving real-world conservation problems is hard to find. This may arise because practical applications are rarely reported in academic journal literature and open access publications. There is some evidence they are revealed in conferences and possibly internal heritage organisation reports, but this gray literature doesn’t readily feedback into the development and refinement of existing models. It is likely the use of models would increase if mechanisms were available to support the development of user interfaces, training workshops and the ability of practical use cases to be fed back to the modelling community.
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spelling doaj.art-80411d4a9eb844ba879e804f9fdac34e2022-12-22T04:11:00ZengSpringerOpenHeritage Science2050-74452022-02-0110111010.1186/s40494-022-00650-4The transfer of heritage modelling from research to practiceJenny Richards0Peter Brimblecombe1St John’s College, Oxford UniversityDepartment of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen UniversityAbstract Heritage science is an inherently practice-oriented field that aims to support our understanding, and conservation, of heritage. Research is commonly undertaken using laboratory or field-based methodologies, but given the ethical and scale constraints, over time and space, of these approaches, process-based models should provide a tool for exploring practical solutions. Unlike other fields, such as climate science and ecology, there appears limited engagement with modelling within heritage science. The characteristics and use of processed-based models published in the field is examined to explore tensions in using models to transfer understanding between research and practice. By examining models that investigate interactions between heritage materials and environment, we find that, at best, model outputs may be used by other researchers or occasionally by heritage institutions; or more commonly, the model’s existence is used as a justification of research, yet without meaningful engagement within either the academic and heritage practitioner communities. Some models are unlikely to be used in practice as they have been developed at spatial or temporal scales incompatible with being truly applicable to objects or sites, or can seem to advance theory without engaging with practice. The uptake of models by researchers who rerun or change the code is rare. Models that seem to gain substantial use appear to benefit from graphical user interfaces that make them easy to run. Evidence of models in solving real-world conservation problems is hard to find. This may arise because practical applications are rarely reported in academic journal literature and open access publications. There is some evidence they are revealed in conferences and possibly internal heritage organisation reports, but this gray literature doesn’t readily feedback into the development and refinement of existing models. It is likely the use of models would increase if mechanisms were available to support the development of user interfaces, training workshops and the ability of practical use cases to be fed back to the modelling community.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-022-00650-4Process-based modelsTangible heritageModel useApplicabilityBibliometricsUser feedback
spellingShingle Jenny Richards
Peter Brimblecombe
The transfer of heritage modelling from research to practice
Heritage Science
Process-based models
Tangible heritage
Model use
Applicability
Bibliometrics
User feedback
title The transfer of heritage modelling from research to practice
title_full The transfer of heritage modelling from research to practice
title_fullStr The transfer of heritage modelling from research to practice
title_full_unstemmed The transfer of heritage modelling from research to practice
title_short The transfer of heritage modelling from research to practice
title_sort transfer of heritage modelling from research to practice
topic Process-based models
Tangible heritage
Model use
Applicability
Bibliometrics
User feedback
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-022-00650-4
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