On site computer recording of archaeological information has been a reality for 30 years and yet it is still seen as an experimental or at least innovative approach. Why? While most archaeologists use computers in some aspects of life, field recording is still done largely on paper. What is the challenge in field recording that makes it resistant to change? The issues may be as much cultural - to do with the way in which we see 'the field' in relation to the rest of our work, our colleagues and our audiences - as they are technological.
The Revelation project has undertaken a comprehensive review of information systems at the English Heritage Centre for Archaeology in the context of the broader profession. Our aim has been to understand how we use data throughout the life of an archaeological project so that we can design a field recording system that is used by the majority of our field teams. In the process of this assessment we have had the chance to reconsider how our working practice feeds our understanding and how it can be supported and improved by better designed systems.
This paper presents the results of the assessment and plans for implementation.
Key words: fieldwork, recording, information systems, assessment