About the Author/Organisation

The Discovery Programme, a Centre for Archaeology and Innovation in Ireland and ARIADNE. ARIADNE stands for Advanced Research Infrastructure for Archaeological Dataset Networking in Europe. It's a collaborative effort to unify and integrate existing archaeological research data infrastructures across Europe. This initiative aims to empower researchers by granting them access to a vast pool of distributed datasets and cutting-edge technological tools.

About the Project

The Discovery Programme, an ARIADNE project partner, participated by contributing datasets from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. These datasets include the National Monuments Service's Archaeological Survey of Ireland and the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. The Discovery Programme submitted these datasets as site and monument databases to ARIADNE's online web portal. This integration allows Irish cultural heritage data to connect with other national European inventories within a wider e-research infrastructure.

Why it's a Showcase

This project exemplifies the value of collaboration and data sharing within the archaeological research community. By contributing Irish cultural heritage data to ARIADNE, the Discovery Programme opens doors for:

Enhanced Discoverability: Irish data becomes accessible to a broader audience of European researchers through the ARIADNE platform.

Improved Interoperability: Enriching datasets with subject terms from the Getty Art and Architecture Thesaurus fosters greater compatibility with similar datasets across Europe. This facilitates seamless data exchange and integration for researchers working on pan-European projects.

Linked Open Data Implementation: The project demonstrates the power of Linked Open Data principles, enabling researchers to make connections and explore relationships between cultural heritage data from various European sources.

Impact of the Showcase

The Discovery Programme's contribution to ARIADNE sets a positive precedent for international collaboration in archaeological research. This showcase has the potential to:

Advance Archaeological Research: By facilitating data sharing and integration, the project paves the way for more comprehensive and collaborative archaeological research across Europe.

Promote Open Access and Data Sharing: The project serves as a model for open data practices within the cultural heritage sector, potentially inspiring other institutions to share their data and contribute to a richer global knowledge base.

Empower Researchers: The wider accessibility of European cultural heritage data empowers researchers to explore new avenues of inquiry and potentially lead to ground-breaking discoveries.