Author
Steven Hayes (University of Sydney)
Abstract
The Archaeological Computing Laboratory – part of the Digital Innovation Unit based in the University of Sydney - helps eResearchers to describe, store, relate and present the various data relating to their research. While in the case of archaeologists much of this data is primary source material (excavated artifacts etc.) we also work with various historical projects. In many cases such projects seek to gather together existing materials from archives and draw relationships with new material to create new understandings. Heurist was developed in response to our growing understanding of and subsequent generalisation of the needs of such projects but as the application is to some extent itself a research project we have found it necessary to constantly refine the methodology as we attempt to apply it to new projects.
The following paper presents a number of case studies including the Dictionary of Sydney, ABCs Gallipoli project and the Journey to Horseshoe Bend collection compiled by the University of Western Sydney. In presenting the case studies we will attempt to elaborate on the different approaches taken while also highlighting the similarities. We will also attempt to give an insight into the evolution of our understanding of eResearch support and the lessons we have learned. In posing the implied question “is there such a thing as a generic eResearch data management tool?” we hope to contribute to the task of defining what exactly is eResearch, and more specifically, what are its infrastructure requirements.
About the speaker
Steven Hayes is currently acting in the role of Coordinator for the Digital Innovation Unit, an initiative of the Arts Faculty at the University of Sydney. The unit includes Sydney eScholar, PARADESIC and the Archaeological Computing Laboratory in a lose affiliation based on our shared interest in projects which further the goal of developing best practice in delivering digital humanities projects. Steven entered the digital humanities world four years ago having worked as a self employed IT consultant specialising in online database work for most of the 90s and the early part of this decade. His broad commercial experience informs a generic approach to the servicing of projects requiring complex information structures and this is reflected in his work developing and refining the "swiss army penknife" that is the Heurist research data utility. Steven is also particularly interested information interchange standards and the idea of shared ontologies and would be happy to retire in a couple of decades having played a role in building the Australian research data commons.