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Project Methodology (1/3)

1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 The project’s design, implementation, and oversight were undertaken by FAIC and AIC staff, a project director and assistant, and an advisory committee.[1] Information reported here was derived from a community survey, a baseline review of online resources, interviews with international experts and special projects personnel, and community forums. These activities were designed to gather data and insights about digital integration in the field,[2] and each is summarized below.

2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 Community Survey
In May of 2014, FAIC conducted a survey to explore how conservation professionals are using digital resources, what limitations they face in doing so, and what additional digital tools and resources they need.[3] More than 750 professionals completed the survey. Their responses suggest that conservation professionals use a variety of online resources for their work.

3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 2 Google is a prominent tool used to locate resources, but the most frequently queried sites are those developed specifically for the conservation profession or those created by allied professions (e.g., National Park Service) and information aggregators (e.g., JSTOR) (see Figure 1.) The most popular topics of search queries are suppliers, the deterioration of materials, the history/manufacture of objects, and conservation treatments. The most frequent problems associated with online resources are an inability to find information specific to a particular query, out-of-date information, unreliable information, and the amount of time it takes to find relevant information (See Figure 2).

4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0  

5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 Top Three Online Resources

6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 0 Figure 1Figure 1

7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 0  

8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0 Figure 2Figure 2

9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 0  

10 Leave a comment on paragraph 10 1 Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents routinely create digital documents and images, but many also create content on social media platforms and websites. Inadequate time and staffing are cited as the major factors affecting the ability to create and maintain digital resources. These factors might account for other concerns expressed in the survey, such as an inability to keep resources current, and a lack of procedures (in place, or being followed) for preserving the digital assets created by conservation professionals. Inadequate digital skills and training were also cited as key factors that hinder digital resource creation.

11 Leave a comment on paragraph 11 3 Survey respondents felt the digital landscape would be more useful if there were: better indexing of information within existing resources; repositories for research findings and data sets, and for conservation treatment records; archives of past conservation practices; and clear identification of trustworthy information (See Figure 3). Broader issues that inhibit the creation, quality, and sharing of information include intellectual property policies, institutional IT policies, and inadequate support for developing and maintaining digital resources.

12 Leave a comment on paragraph 12 0 Figure 3Figure 3

13 Leave a comment on paragraph 13 3 The audience for conservation information was not addressed in the survey but the topic did arise in questions about resource creation. Digital resources such as documents, reference databases, and images are being created or maintained for personal, organizational or professional use, but not for public consultation and use. However, the general public was singled out as a common audience for social media, websites, and video/audio resources.


14 Leave a comment on paragraph 14 0 [1] Project team members are Eryl Wentworth (Executive Director, AIC/FAIC), Eric Pourchot (Institutional Advancement Director, FAIC), Bonnie Naugle (Communications Director, AIC), Diane Zorich (Consultant and Project Director), and Ayesha Fuentes, (Independent Conservator, Project Assistant). Advisory Committee members are Kenneth Hamma (Independent Consultant, Advisor to The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation), Pamela Hatchfield (Head of Objects Conservation, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), Nancie Ravenel (Objects Conservator, Shelburne Museum), and Koven Smith (Director of Digital Adaptation, Blanton Museum of Art)

15 Leave a comment on paragraph 15 0 [2] General information, notes, presentations, and reports associated with this project can be found at www.conservation-us.org/digital_landscape.

16 Leave a comment on paragraph 16 0 [3] For the full report, see Charting the Digital Landscape of Conservation, Survey Results. August 2014. http://www.conservation-us.org/docs/default-source/reports/the-digital-landscape-of-conservation-survey-report.pdf?sfvrsn=0

Source: https://resources.culturalheritage.org/comment/charting-the-digital-landscape-of-the-conservation-profession/project-methodology-13/