Kirsty Stonell Walker
The Historic England Research Report Series (RRS) includes thousands of reports from over 60 years of research and our online database makes them available to you at a keystroke.
From a single-page type-written table on archaeological finds of charcoal to multi-volume reports on post-war schools, the RRS database contains a wealth of information on buildings, archaeological sites, scientific dating, identifying, scanning, surveying and reviewing elements of the historic environment.
Until 2005, the database consisted of the Ancient Monument Laboratory reports and the Centre for Archaeology series, but these were subsequently joined by reports from Archaeological Survey, Aerial Survey and Architectural Survey, together with work from contractors commissioned by Historic England to carry out targeted applied research.
Recent reports are now full-colour, high-quality publications available to download free from our database and accessible to researchers all over the world.
In 2012 we ran a project to digitise all the research reports that had previously only been available in paper form, uploading them to our online database and creating an invaluable resource for students and academics interested in not only our current work but the past catalogue of our research.
There are now over 7,000 reports available and every year we add more than 100 new reports
2021 brought such diverse subjects as a geophysical survey on works on the Stockton and Darlington Railway, a topographic analysis of a medieval town and the identification of grain excavated in York.
We are always looking for ways to increase access to our reports and bring new audiences to our work. For example, in 2014, we took our promotional material to a major Science Fiction convention in London, an unlikely venue, perhaps, but one which allowed us both to connect with people eager to see the science behind the fiction and to publicise the value of our research material to LARPs (Live Action Role Players) and historical re-enactors, keen to bring authenticity to their work.
In the future, we are hoping to continue our promotion of the RRS at professional conferences, such as those held by conservators, conservationists, environmentalists and more, while also reaching out to historical interest and local study groups.
We continue to identify specific places and events that can showcase our work, for example Wordsworth’s Dove’s Cottage and the Capability Brown tri-centennial.
We are also keen to provide improved access to our material online and are implementing changes to make it easier to find and use our wealth of reports. We have therefore integrated the search facility into our main Historic England website.
It is important to us that as many people can benefit from and use the decades of knowledge they have at their fingertips.
The database is now supported by an online map, which uses a GIS application to pin down all RRS reports that have a specific location. Users can, virtually, roam the country seeking places of interest and related research. This is a great way to find out what is in your own area, or any others of particular interest.
Explore our research reports with this map which is an on-going project that allows access to the majority of research reports produced for place-based projects. It covers most types of non-invasive surveys, including scientific analysis, such as tree ring dating and archaeobotany.
From major sites, such as Stonehenge, to Cold War bunkers, to tiny fragments of grain and seeds, the Research Report Series will continue to provide knowledge and inspiration to future researchers all over the world, and provide a place for world-class research to be published and easily accessed by our growing and enthusiastic audience.
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