Reproducibility in the field: Transparency, version control and collaboration on the project panormos survey

Abstract

Archaeological fieldwork is rarely considered reproducible in the sense of the ideal scientific method because of its destructive nature. But new digital technology now offers field practitioners a set of tools that can at least increase the transparency of the data-collection process as well as bring other benefits of an Open Science approach to archaeology. This article shares our perspectives, choices and experiences of piloting a set of tools (namely: ODK, Git, GitLab CE and R) which can address reproducibility of fieldwork in the form of an intensive survey project in western Turkey, and highlights the potential consequences of Open Science approaches for archaeology as a whole.