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Questions from users in university departments
What is the timetable for the OASIS project?
The new OASIS form was launched on 1st April 2004 after a programme of regional training days. A final training session for those who were unable to attend their regional training day took place in October 2004. Contact English Heritage for more information on OASIS training. A Scottish version of OASIS was released for training and testing in September 2006.
OASIS and its relationship to HERs, EI and AIP
The aim of the OASIS project, and of the project partners, is that OASIS should become the primary means of reporting archaeological fieldwork to the NMR, AIP and ADS, and the vehicle through which that information is made available to Historic Environment Records (HERs) and to the wider archaeological community.
The project is bringing together the existing longstanding data gathering and analysis initiatives, so as to create a logical flow of information and minimise duplication. Data gathered through OASIS is shared with:
When OASIS becomes the normal and routine method of capturing intervention data throughout England then it is anticipated that other data gathering methods will not be required to any significant extent. This will allow resources to be focussed on validation of data, dissemination, and analysis. In the meantime however there is still a need to record interventions and reports which are not being entered on OASIS, and the project partners are cooperating to ensure that this is being done as effectively as possible. In particular AIP will be ensuring their data capture programmes take account of OASIS records where these have been created, and will focus particularly on areas where use of OASIS is not currently general. Data gathered by AIP will in turn be fed back into OASIS and, through OASIS, to the HERs and EI.
The OASIS project has also been working to ensure that data flows are as efficient as possible. The recent development of a tool to migrate OASIS data directly into HERs which use HBSMR software is one aspect of this, and the project is also investigating the provision of workshops on the creation and use of XML data import scripts for those HERs using other databases.
How should I configure my web browser to make the most of the new OASIS form?
Your browser will need to have javascript enabled in order to take full advantage of the error checking mechanisms within the OASIS form. If you do not have javascript enabled a warning will appear on the login page.
When should I use the OASIS form?
The OASIS form is available for use at any time of the day or night. However, we occasionally have to carry out bug fixing or maintenance work on the form. As far as possible this maintenance work will occur on Tuesday mornings before 10.00am. The OASIS form will normally be available for use during this period but stability and reliability can not be assured.
What happens to an OASIS record once it has been signed off?
The information that is entered into OASIS can be downloaded by the relevant contractor, HER and NMR and imported into their own database. In the case of the NMR the information will form a new Excavation Index record. This Excavation Index record will eventually be submitted back to the Archaeology Data Service at which point it will become fully accessible online through ArchSearch and will link through to a digital version of the grey literature report where this has been supplied.
If there is a digital copy of the grey literature report attached to the OASIS record and the relevant contractor has signed a licence agreement with the Archaeology Data Service giving permission for dissemination of their reports, the grey literature report will be made available via the ADS Library of Unpublished Fieldwork Reports. This will happen within 1 month of the OASIS record being signed off by the NMR unless a report release delay has been specified by the contractor. The detailed metadata entered through the OASIS form will sit alongside this report within the library of unpublished fieldwork reports, allowing advanced search and retrieval of these reports.
How can I keep up with developments and enhancements to the OASIS form?
Keep an eye on the OASIS newsfeed which is updated with information about oasis developments. More details on accessing the newsfeed can be found here.
We also have two OASIS mailing lists that you are welcome to join.
If you would like to join either or both of these e-mail lists, send an e-mailto LISTSERV@jiscmail.ac.uk with the message body "SUBSCRIBE OASIS-USERS" or "SUBSCRIBE OASIS-ANNOUNCE" followed by your forename and your surname.For example "SUBSCRIBE OASIS-USERS Jenny Mitcham". Your message should not contain any other text (delete your e-mail signature if you have one!).
Why am I having problems uploading my grey literature report?
You may experience problems attaching grey literature to an OASIS record if the file is open. Make sure your grey literature report is not currently in use before you upload it into OASIS.
My grey literature report is too big - what should I do?
Grey literature reports are transferred to the OASIS server via FTP. There is currently no limit on the size of file that will upload, but if your report is very large and your internet connection slow, you may find that the time taken to upload the file renders the operation impractical.
Large file sizes can be created when very high resolution images are included within a report. You may find you can reduce the resolution of any large images included within the report without adversely affecting the user experience. This may significantly reduce the size of your files. Please try doing this before you try to upload. Remember that if you are struggling to upload a file, it is likely that others may struggle to download it from the form or the grey literature library at a later date.
If all else fails it may be helpful to know that the OASIS form now allows the upload of multiple files. If your grey literature report is very large, you may find you need to split it down into smaller chunks before upload.
Uploading a digital report within OASIS is not compulsory. If neither of the above options is feasible, a button is provided on the OASIS form for those who wish to send a copy of their report to the HER by other means. If you are not able to attach a digital copy, simply click on this button and put a hard copy into the post to the HER.
What format should I upload my grey literature report as?
From April 2006 the OASIS form has allowed contractors to upload their grey literature report as multiple files. This decision was made after requests from a number of contractors who either produced files that were too big to upload in one chunk, or who were not able to combine all the elements of their grey literature report into a single file for upload. Please be aware though that we prefer the report to consist of a single file where possible. Grey literature reports that consist of single files are easier for us to deal with and are therefore likely to be prioritised when we carry out transfers to the grey literature library and the ADS archive.
A survey of contractors using OASIS was carried out in February 2006 to assess which types of files commonly make up a final grey literature report. The list of file types that are accepted for upload is based on the results of this survey. If you have other files that make up your report that aren't currently accepted through the OASIS form please let us know.
Files currently accepted for report upload include standard word processing/document formats such as Microsoft Word documents (doc), Portable document format (including the archival pdf format 'pdf/a') (pdf), rich text format (rtf) and Open Document Text (odt). Additional files may include graphics and image formats such as JPEG images (jpg), TIFF images (tif), CorelDraw format (cdr), Adobe Illustrator (ai), AutoCAD drawings (dwg) and Open Document Graphics (odg); or spreadsheet data from Microsoft Excel (xls), Lotus 1-2-3 (wk*) and Open Document Spreadsheet (ods).
Users should also be aware that standard PDF files, while ideal as a means of disseminating formatted text, are not easily converted to a stable archival format and we can only do so on a 'best efforts' basis.
An archival format of the PDF standard is now available. This is called 'PDF/Archive' or PDF/A. PDF/A files are more suitable for long-term preservation than normal PDF files so if you wish to use PDF to upload your grey literature, we would prefer that you try to create them as PDF/A instead. We can then be sure that your reports will be accessible for the long term.
The PDF/A format is supported by many different software packages, making it a format that is relatively easy to create and work with. You may already have software that will allow you to create PDF/A files, but if you do not, there is software freely available to download that should help (for example at http://www.freepdfcreator.org/).
If you wish to continue to create standard PDF files, there are a few guidlelines that should be followed in order to make these files as easy to preserve as possible:
Please note: The ADS are unable to carry out preservation work and migrations on PDF files that have been 'secured', so will be unable to include these in the grey literature library and archive.
Why do my report filenames keep changing?
All filenames will be changed as files are uploaded into the OASIS form. Each file will be renamed with a character string that consists of the OASIS ID for the record plus a numeric suffix. This is so that your report files are easily associated with the OASIS record they relate to. If you are uploading multiple files we recommend you do not make reference to other files within your upload by their original filename. Where your files should appear in a certain order please upload them in this order so that this order is reflected in the new filenames that are created by the OASIS form.
My record status says 'Waiting for Contractor to send report' but I have already uploaded my report. What do I do?
Occasionally OASIS records end up in limbo with the status 'Waiting for Contractor to send report' even though a report has been attached to the record. This can be frustrating because it is stopping the information and the report itself from making its way through the system. There may be a perfectly valid reason for this situation, for example you may be waiting for some last minute illustrations or appendices to upload to accompany your grey literature report. On the other hand it may just be that you have finished uploading files but didn't click the check box to say this was the case. If the later is true, you need to follow the steps below:
Once you have carried out these steps, these records should then become available to the HER for validation and then move through the system and into the on-line grey literature library where appropriate.
What happens to my digital grey literature report once the OASIS record is signed off?
Grey literature reports that are attached to an OASIS record will be moved into the Library of Unpublished Fieldwork Reports on the Archaeology Data Service website. This will happen after your record is signed off by both the HER and the National Monuments Record (subject to completion of an ADS licence agreement and any delays specified for the report release). Within this digital library, data created through the OASIS form will be used to aid search and retrieval of individual reports.
In order to mount the report on the ADS website you will have to sign a standard licence agreement. A hard copy of the licence will be sent to you when you first start to upload grey literature reports into OASIS. If you did not agree to sign the ADS deposit licence when originally contacted but now wish to do so, please (contact us).
Once grey literature reports have been uploaded to the Library of Unpublished Fieldwork Reports, they will no longer be available to download direct from OASIS. Users of the OASIS form will still be able to access these files quickly and easily through a link to the Library which has been provided on the form in place of the old links to the files.
Archiving of the text of the grey literature reports will be carried out by the ADS to ensure their preservation into the future. It should be noted that where image files or data sheets from the report are uploaded into OASIS as separate files, the preservation of all elements of the grey literature can not be assured. Priority will be given to those reports that have been made available as single files.
Can I host my grey literature report on my own web site instead of uploading it to OASIS?
If you want your grey literature report to appear in the Library of Unpublished Fieldwork Reports but would rather host the actual file on your own web site then that is not a problem. Instead of uploading a file into the OASIS form for a particular project simply click the 'sent by other means' option in the grey literature section of the form. To ensure we can link to your report you will need to enter the correct web address into the 'url' field of the bibliography section for your unpublished report. When your OASIS record has been signed off by the SMR/HER and NMR the details of your report will be copied into the Library of Unpublished Fieldwork Reports and we will use the url you have entered to link to the report that is held externally.
There are two points to remember if you decide to go down this route:
What happens to my digital boundary file once the OASIS record is signed off?
As from September 2006, the OASIS form has allowed users to attach a file displaying their site boundary. Files should have been created in a Geographic Information System or CAD package and georeferenced to the British National Grid and should have been zipped into a single file prior to upload.
This facility has been provided within OASIS purely as a means to facilitate the flow of data from the contractor to the HER. The Archaeology Data Service will not archive or preserve files that are uploaded in this way. It is assumed that the HER and NMR will take copies of any files they wish to keep at the point at which they validate and sign off the record as a whole. The Archaeology Data Service reserve the right to delete these files 6 months after the associated record has been signed off by the NMR.
My computer crashed - have I lost my OASIS record for good?
Data entered into the OASIS form is not securely stored on to our servers until you click the 'Save record' button on the bottom of the main form. Storing each section of the form is not sufficient to be able to rescue your data in the event of a crash. To avoid serious data loss should a crash or network problem occur we recommend that you save your record midway through the data entry process.
Are there any copyright problems with including OS maps in our reports?
Obviously anyone using OS maps in their reports should already hold an OS licence of their own. But there shouldn't be a problem about including small portions of OS maps in your reports that are made available in the grey literature library. The ADS is hosted by the University of York and as an educational establishment we have been advised that we can disseminate on-line parts of OS maps up to a certain size (200cm squared) regardless of scale without licensing problems. However, you should also be covered to do this by your own OS licence. Information on the OS website http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/business/copyright/ also indicates that as you are not making any financial gain for disseminating your reports you should be covered by the terms of your own licence. If you are at all concerned about the terms of your licence, you may wish to watermark the maps within the reports.
I want to go back into a record to make some changes but have already marked it as complete - what do I do?
Contractors should only click the checkboxes to say a record is complete if the record is finished with. However, in some circumstances you may notice errors in your record after the record has been marked as complete. In these circumstances you may want to ask the relevant HER to re-open the record for editing. When you look at the summary page for your record there will be a button you can click which will enable you to inform the HER of the problem with the record and ask them to re-open specific sections for editing. Once the HER re-opens this record, a further e-mail will be generated informing you of this action and giving you the opportunity to go back into the record and make any necessary changes.
Please note, this facility is only available for records that have not been validated by the NMR. Once a record has been validated by the NMR, the record can not be re-opened.
What happens if I have a project that extends over the English/Scottish border?
Contractors will be able to access both Scottish and English OASIS forms with their username and password. Projects that cross the border will need 2 separate OASIS records, one in the English form and one in the Scottish form. This will ensure that both of the relevant HERs and the Scottish and English NMRs will get to see the results of your work.
What happens if I have a project that extends over several different counties?
Some archaeological projects (such as a road scheme or pipeline) may extend over several different counties. It is not always immediately obvious how best to record these within the location section of OASIS. If your pipeline crosses 3 counties then you would want each of the 3 HERs to know about and see the results of your work. The best way to achieve this is to create a single OASIS entry and fill in as much detail as you can. When you get to the location section of the OASIS form you can enter 3 different locations, one for each county (you will just have to select one of the district/parishes that the pipeline goes through - maybe a central one). For each of these locations that you set, you need to select the relevant HER that should be notified about this record.
When you save this record for the first time, it will split itself into 3 separate records (with separate oasis ids that reference each other in the associated identifiers section of the project details form). Each HER will then be notified by e-mail and have their own record to check and validate.
Once you have saved this record, you can then refine each of the 3 resulting records. So for example if a Anglo Saxon cemetery was found in one county and nothing was found in another county, you can edit the monument/finds fields in the project details section of the form to make it relevant to each individual HER. You will then need to upload a copy of the grey literature report on to each record.
I have subcontracted some work to a geophysicist or other specialist. How do I fill in the OASIS form for the project when I don't have all the information to hand?
If for example you subcontract some work to a geophysicist who is producing a separate grey literature report for the geophysics, you only need to fill in the OASIS form for the work that your organisation has actually carried out. You may not have enough information or knowledge to fill out the detailed geophysics section of the OASIS form. The geophysics specialist should therefore complete a separate OASIS entry for the work they have done. If you would like these 2 OASIS entries to be linked together in the future, you should include the relevant OASIS id in the 'associated reference codes' section of your form.
Which projects should I be entering into the OASIS form?
The OASIS form is designed to be used to facilitate the flow of current data from the contractor to the HER to the NMR. It is therefore important that the form should only be used to record archaeological projects that are ongoing or have been recently completed. OASIS should not be used as a means to record information about old projects. If you are interested in making copies of backlog grey literature reports available online in the Library of Unpublished Fieldwork Reports please contact us for further information.
How do I remove a monument type and period from the OASIS form?
Simply delete the text from the monument type box and within the period drop-down box, reset to the top entry 'Select from list'. Once you have stored the data and saved the record this will remove this data from the form. Follow the same process to remove significant finds data.
I have an OASIS record which is outside the area my HER covers. What do I do?
You may find occasionally that an OASIS record that appears in your list of projects does not relate to a site or location that is covered by your HER. If you come across a record like this, please do not carry out any validation of the record. If you know which HER the record should have gone to, go into the location section of the record and click the radio button next to the correct validating HER. Store the details for the location section and on the main form add your name and e-mail address and save the record. Once this record is saved it will no longer appear in your list of projects and it will be immediately available to the correct HER. If you do not know which HER the record belongs to please contact English Heritage and ask them to investigate further.
How can I stop myself from drowning in OASIS e-mails?
E-mails are key to the working of OASIS, but this does mean that quite a large number of mails can be generated before a project within OASIS is signed off. This is particularly true if a contractor re-visits the form on several occasions before completing the record. It is acknowledged that although some HER's may wish to keep track of their records as they are created and reach completion, others may only want to know about a record once it is ready to be validated. Although it is not possible to reduce the volume of e-mails sent through the OASIS form, it may be possible to use filtering within your individual e-mail software to filter out any e-mails that you do not want to see. If for example you did not want to learn of new OASIS records in your area you could set up a rule that filters out all messages that contain the text "New OASIS record". If you didn't want to be informed every time a contractor working in your area makes an edit to a record, you would need to filter out e-mails with the text "OASIS record version". Please set up any filters with care - it would not be a good idea to filter out all e-mails generated by OASIS!
How do I go about recording my fieldwork within OASIS?
Users from university departments may wish to consider how they will use the form. It may be that it is appropriate to have a department wide login (i.e. a shared username and password) and a single OASIS account; this would be especially appropriate if departments were going to encourage a number research students to fill in the OASIS forms or have a number of staff undertaking a range of fieldwork in England and Wales. If there are only a very small number of staff in the department undertaking fieldwork it may be more appropriate for the individual researcher to register and keep a personal OASIS account. These decisions are important should you wish any associated grey literature reports to be deposited in the ADS Grey Literature Library; a standard ADS deposit licence would need to be signed to cover each OASIS account.