WTF do API, JSON, CSV, and LOD mean? Instruction and professional development in digital archaeology

Summary

Digital data play increasingly prominent roles in archaeological research. At the same time, the Web has become the key medium for professional and public communication including the transmission of research data. The "Web of Data" represents a fundamental paradigm change. Increasingly, data are no longer packaged in discrete files (spreadsheets, database files) for download. Instead, many datasets come from dynamic information services (APIs, or Application Program Interfaces) and link with other data on the Web using Linked Open Data (LOD). While these services have the potential to transform our ability to visualize and understand data, many people are still struggling to move beyond basic use of spreadsheets. We present case studies from the 2015-2016 Michigan State University Institute for Digital Archaeology (#MUSDAI) and the 2016 Open Context & Carleton University Prize for Archaeological Visualization to highlight how self-expression and building can promote data literacy and better professional practice.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Methods and Models for Teaching Digital Archaeology and Heritage

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16606