AGAIN: sharing the data

[Dorothy Graves]

"Once V is published how can I validate or refuse V? Will
other people around the world be entitled to have access
to x? I mean the exact data set you have used. But also f()
is important. What are the exact algorithm's you have used?
Are they open or closed source?"

I agree that this is a problem.  Any mathematical algorithms used must be published in my thesis (V), and my database (x) would be available in digital format.  But of course, the algorithms used by software I use may not be accessible because I use ArcGIS, Imagine, and Idrisi.  I have tried more than once to learn how to use GRASS, and found the process extremely frustrating.  I am not using it to complete my research, but I did give it a fair go more than once.  I do not have the programming skills to use it even remotely effectively, and at this point in my research, I cannot sacrifice the time to learn.  You could arguably take my database and put it into the different closed-source packages I have used, but there's always the inherent danger of incongruent GISes.  I find that to be extremely worrying, more so than the question of access to data.

Others using this list may feel quite strongly that I - and others like me - am doing a disservice to the field for not using open source software.  (I agree, incidentally.)  As my computer skillls grow, I hope to eventually migrate over to open source, but for now this is simply impossible.  A lack of training in computer science is probably the real problem here, because that knowledge breaks down the real barriers of using open source, and thus resolves the problem of truly verifying/testing others' research.  I know I wasn't the only student at QMDAA who had little or no background in computer science, which may suggest this problem is endemic to archaeology as it's practiced throughout the world. 

So I put it to anyone in this list - do you use open source software for your research?  If so, how did you learn to use the software?  If you are self-taught, how long did it take to wield it effectively?  

Dorothy

Giancarlo Macchi <macchi@unisi.it> wrote: Hi Dorothy,
Well the point is exactly this. I will use your case as an
example, but also to know if things are different in the UK.
So this mail is full of questions.

The people from the RCAHMS gave you an archaeological
digital data set. Let's call this dataset x.
You will conduct a research. During this research you will
apply a some quantitative methods, approaches etc. Let's
imagine your research can be synthesized as a function: f().
So we may hope that at the end of your research you will
publish a volume, that if I have understood will be available
to everyone through the RCAHMS library. Let's call the outcome
of your research V.
So basically we may say that:

     f(x) -> V

Once V is published how can I validate or refuse V? Will
other people around the world be entitled to have access
to x? I mean the exact data set you have used. But also f()
is important. What are the exact algorithm's you have used?
Are they open or closed source?
So basically my point is that for a real scientific approach
it is important to the public have access to V (obviously)
but also to x and eventually to f().

Sebastian, my original post (AGAIN: sharing the data) wants
to address this point. I want you and everybody else around
the globe to be entitled to challenge my models. To do that
I need do guarantee you access to my data.

giancarlo


---------------------------
Dorothy Graves
Postgraduate Researcher
Department of Archaeology
School of Arts, Culture and Environment
Old High School, Infirmary Street
Edinburgh EH1 1LT, Scotland, UK
 			
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