Seven questions with Adi Keinan-Schoonbaert and Chiara Bonacchi

This week we put seven questions to Adi Keinan-Schoonbaert and Chiara Bonacchi from UCL Institute of Archaeology.

Research project: The MicroPasts Project: Crowd and community fuelled Archaeological Research

Department: UCL Institute of Archaeology

Members of team: Andrew Bevan, Daniel Pett, Chiara Bonacchi, Adi Keinan-Schoonbaert, Neil Wilkin, Jennifer Wexler, Rachael Sparks

Tell us more about your research project:

Adi Keinan-Schoonbaert (AKS): MicroPasts is a web-based environment funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council which allows the public to engage in  archaeological research with real academic and museum-related tasks.

It has been created and maintained jointly by researchers and curators from UCL Institute of Archaeology and the British Museum, co-led by Prof Andrew Bevan (UCL IoA) and Daniel Pett (BM).

People can complete different types of research tasks on the crowdsourcing platform and help with the kinds of large-scale data collection that are very difficult to achieve using traditional research methods. They can also make small crowdfunding donations to support new collaborative projects between community groups and academic institutions.

Dr Chiara Bonacchi (CB): The project leverages crowd-sourcing, crowd-funding and other web-based technologies to involve already established interest groups as well as a more ubiquitous 'crowd' online to:

• create new open data such as digitised object cards or 3D models of artefacts
• discuss how this data can be used to develop and pursue research in archaeology and history which draws on large data sets
• micro-finance community-led archaeology and history projects

Since its public launch on 16 April 2014, the MicroPasts crowd-sourcing website has had 1,007 registered users and many more people have been helping with the crowd-sourcing of data anonymously.

The crowd-funding platform was launched on 16 October 2014 and is currently hosting four campaigns on community archaeology and an oral history one.

What makes it so important (and interesting)?

AKS: We envision MicroPasts as an innovative space where archaeologists, historians and heritage specialists join volunteer archaeological societies and other interested members of the public, to create high quality data, in a more open and participatory form.

With the usual lack of funds in the cultural heritage sector, some jobs are never likely to get done by paid staff. But with the goodwill of volunteers, platforms such as MicroPasts can advance research while supporting public enthusiasm for museum collections and archaeology.

In return, contributors receive credit for their input, learn new skills, or simply enjoy spending time doing something meaningful!

CB: MicroPasts is the first project that experiments with crowd-sourcing and crowd-funding jointly to enable a co-creative kind of public engagement.

It moves from participation in more mechanical crowd-sourcing tasks, such as transcription, to the offline creation of 3D models, to helping with data consolidation and hopefully, eventually, to the design and enabling of new research in archaeology, history and heritage.

What has been a personal highlight so far?

AKS: Among other things, MicroPasts contributors help us create 3D models, mainly (but not only) of British Museum objects. Most of them help this process online by 'photomasking' object photos, as one step towards 3D modelling using photogrammetry.

However, some of them actually create the models themselves, using our project tutorials and with our support via the project's forum. I am very pleased to see how much they enjoy learning how to 3D model, while making a real contribution to museum collections. I'm very proud of our members!

C.B: It has been very interesting to research how an interconnected online community has started to emerge from an initially disconnected group of people who were contributing with virtually no interaction.

Initial results from the evaluative work undertaken so far have also revealed the motivations for volunteer involvement in relation to the specific kinds of help they prefer offering, and it has been rewarding to study the public value of the project.

Explain some of the challenges involved in working on a research project.

AKS: Research projects do come with their set of issues and challenges. For example, you may need to adjust to new circumstances and overcome unforeseen obstacles arising during the project, while at the same time making sure you still comply with what you had committed to in your original grant application.

You may also have to deal with steep learning curves (yours or your colleagues) when learning new skills or endeavouring to dive into unfamiliar research areas. And finally, you must be prepared for the end of the project long before it actually ends, and start looking for additional grants - or new research directions.

CB: The greatest challenge we have been facing is probably that of tailoring and adapting the development of the MicroPasts platforms and the research conducted alongside in a way that would suit contributor participation and their interests, as these were evolving over time.

This required flexibility and a great amount of coordination and internal communication, especially given the limited time available for delivering the project outputs (18 months), and the complexities of developing software open-source as well as a volunteer community.

What advice would you give to an undergraduate student hoping to pursue a research career?

AKS: I would advise them to go for projects they are interested in, but at the same time be open to new ideas and new research realms. It is fulfilling to be an expert in a certain field, but it is even more fulfilling to expand your knowledge and expertise.

CB: To start building your own distinct research profile early on, identifying central and side competencies that you plan on nurturing through the years. However, plans might change as you go along and it is important to be able to adapt to new circumstances and research opportunities as these open-up.

Any idea what's next after the project finishes?

AKS: The initial MicroPasts project ended at the beginning of April, but we have managed to secure AHRC follow-on funding for an additional period of six months.

In the meantime, the team is in the process of applying to several research grants that would allow the project to extend even further. Different schemes would dictate the direction to which our project goes, but we are happy with any option that keeps MicroPasts and its large and devoted group of members going.

However, even if the MicroPasts team gets no further funding, core staff members of the UCL Institute of Archaeology and the British Museum plan to keep the web platforms active.

CB: We have secured AHRC Follow-on funding until 31 October 2015 to conduct a knowledge exchange programme with two interlinked aims:

•  to study and implement a community-led model of platform and project management that is sustainable in the longer-term;
• to inform heritage policy and practice in the UK, and guide private and public investments in participatory projects that use crowd-sourcing and/or crowd-funding. 

We are also (individually and/or collectively) submitting a number of proposals for further projects that include MicroPasts as part of the methodology.

Describe your perfect evening (or weekend) after a long week.

AKS: A perfect weekend must be spent with my husband and daughter! Ideally it would combine a fun day with friends - taking a walk, eating, drinking, laughing, and chatting - and then a relaxed local North London day, going to a farmers market, to the park or playground, having a lovely lunch, and reading with a cup of coffee.

CB: On a Friday, I like to leave the Institute and have dinner and drinks with my friends and 'London' family. It is great to explore the gastronomic diversity of this amazing city… and relax (a bit)!