HERITAGE FUTURES

Heritage Values

Work being undertaken in the policy field falls under the label of 'heritage values'. Particularly, the systems and processes of creating and using management information within the heritage sector are of interest, and Dr Ian Baxter is investigating this in a number of ways, combining research, industry engagement, and knowledge transfer methods.

UKHRG - UK Heritage Research Group (formerly UK Historic Environment Research Group)

What is UKHRG?
The Power of Place and Force for Our Future (2001) reports published by English Heritage and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) identified the need for a co-ordinated approach to research into the historic environment. In England, English Heritage has been charged with this responsibility by Force for Our Future. However, it was evident that many strategic research needs and issues are common to the whole of the UK and valuable work is being done on the situation in other countries, and UK wide, which needs to be fed in to the picture.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) therefore offered to host a meeting of the principal organisations involved in commissioning or carrying out socio-economic and policy research in heritage across the UK. In 2002 the UK Historic Environment Research Group (UKHERG) was set up. The aim of the group is to co-ordinate socio-economic research across the sector and to share knowledge and practice. In 2004, the group agreed to produce a common policy research framework and in October 2005 published A Framework for Policy Research. In order to share socio-economic and policy research with a wider audience the Framework is being circulated to interested parties identified by the group. It is intended that any relevant research identified by members can be shared through an email bulletin which Ian Baxter at the Heritage Futures Network, Glasgow Caledonian University is co-ordinating using the UK academic JISCMail service.

For general enquiries about UKHERG, contact Isla Campbell at the Heritage Lottery Fund.
To join the email group, please send a message to: UKHERG-request@jismail.ac.uk

Resources for Historic Environment and Heritage Policy Research

The UKHERG email list is essentially a low-traffic circulation medium for relevant research information, particularly related to the 'heritage values' evidence base as it can be utilised by public sector institutions involved in heritage management. Additional research resources and signposting for sources of data are being developed under the auspices of the knowledge transfer interests of both Heritage Futures and Cultural Business staff at Glasgow Caledonian University. Whilst at an early stage of development, simple Web 2.0 technologies (Web page tagging, social bookmarking, online bibliographies, RSS feeds and blogging) are being investigated to facilitate knowledge exchange in this area.

Trials of this can be found on the following sites:

• RefWorks Shared Area (Glasgow Caledonian University)
• Delicious webpage tagging / social book marking by Ian Baxter
• Blog - Heritage Futures blog created by Ian Baxter, geared around heritage values and policy.

Further information on aspects of heritage policy information networks can be provided by :
Dr Ian Baxter (Project Director)
Tel: 0141 331 8462
Email: i.baxter@gcal.ac.uk

Building the evidence base - historic environment data sources

Apart from the academic consideration of heritage values, the evidence base itself is continuing to be built, and data is being gathered on a variety of current issues. Dr Ian Baxter was contracted to Historic Scotland during 2006-2007 to undertake an Assessment of Data Quality prior to the full Historic Environment Audit getting under way.  Details of this consultancy project can be found here: Assessment of Data Quality research.

Updated: 06/10/2008 | Site editor | Legal