Defining Success in Public Archaeology Evaluation

Summary

There are few public archaeology outreach programs around the nation with concise or overarching programming standards and currently minimal data on the effectiveness of these programs (Kirkland & Carr, 2010). As organizations focus on meaningful impact with the public in terms of what are participants’ motivation for attending, perceptions of the programs, and variables affecting their appreciation, and perceptions of archaeology, they can improve their quality. Illustrations from case studies using mixed method research provide a combination of quantitative and qualitative viewpoints. Measuring the program impact on the participants is vital in answering important questions about the effectiveness of programs. Tools such as mission statements can provide a way to measure program success or failure. This can help organizations decide whether they should pursue certain types of public archaeology programming.     

Cite this Record

Defining Success in Public Archaeology Evaluation. Tyler Smith, Keilani Hernandez, Laura Clark, Samantha Seals. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441406)

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 960