WHAT IS THE RESEARCH FRAMEWORK?

This resource was developed with Historic England funding as part of a national strategy to create a series of self-sustaining regional research frameworks for the historic environment of England.  It was prepared in collaboration with stakeholders from across the historic environment spectrum, with guidance from a Steering Group and an advisory panel of regional, period and subject specialists, and comprises the following elements:

  • Defining the region: definition of the area covered in this framework.
  • Time Periods: tabulated summary of the time periods employed in this framework.
  • County Overviews: period syntheses for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.
  • Regional Overview: regional synthesis, building upon the county overviews.
  • Research Agenda: list of key research questions for each period and summary of overarching research themes spanning multiple periods.
  • Research Strategy: strategy for advancing understanding of Agenda topics, including measures recommended for building the foundations of research and lists of period-based Strategic Objectives.
  • Environmental Data: details of East Midlands sites yielding palaeoenvironmental remains.
  • Research Resources: lists of published reports, online published and grey reports and key websites.
  • News and Events: forthcoming conferences, meetings and other events on subjects relating to the historic environment of the East Midlands, including opportunities for volunteer involvement.

WHY USE THE FRAMEWORK?

The framework is designed principally to assist with:

  • Defining research questions and strategies for inclusion in project designs submitted to research funding bodies
  • Preparing written schemes of investigation preceding developments impacting upon the historic environment
  • Providing background information for use during research and analysis

It also contains useful information on:

  • Palaeoenvironmental investigations in the East Midlands
  • Published and online research resources
  • Forthcoming heritage events

HOW HAS THE FRAMEWORK BEEN COMPILED?

The framework has been prepared in liaison with historic environment stakeholders from across the region, with the aim of maximising involvement. The key stages of development are summarised below, and are discussed in greater detail in the preliminary chapters of The Archaeology of the East Midlands and East Midlands Heritage.

*County overviews (1998-2000)
Eight period-based seminars were convened to discuss the region’s archaeological resource and to develop a regional research agenda. Copies of the period syntheses that were compiled for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire were published as web resources in 2000, together with a list of sites yielding environmental samples that was compiled by Angela Monckton in 2001.

*Regional Overview and Research Agenda (2006) 
The period overviews for each county provided the foundation for a series of regional period syntheses which were published in 2006. These included discussion of the research priorities for each period and were published under the title of The Archaeology of the East Midlands

*Updated Research Agenda and Strategy (2012)
The 2006 Research Agenda was updated to take account of changing research priorities, new concerns such as the potential impact of climate change, and feedback received at Agenda Workshops on the need to place greater emphasis upon the built environment resource. This provided the foundation for a research strategy that was developed in response to feedback received during discussions at a Strategy Workshop and from circulated draft documents. The updated research framework, incorporating both agenda and strategy, was published in 2012 under the title of East Midlands Heritage.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE 

We rely on local research to keep our resources up to date. This “quick comment” interactive facility will allow you to contribute to our research, and help to keep the framework relevant.  Users may contribute to most pages by following the below tutorial:

The comment box will appear for you to leave information relevant to the research framework. 

In order to contribute, hover your cursor over a paragraph or heading which you would like to interact with. If commenting is available on these pages,  click on the speech bubble which will appear on the right hand side (pictured, right).

This will open a comment box (pictured left) and allow you to tell us about your research, helpful links or details of projects.

Your personal details, including your name and email address, will not appear unless otherwise stated, but will allow us to follow up with you on regional research. 

In order to send us your comment, you should leave your name and email address (marked by an asterisk*). You can then post your comment. These comments will not appear as publicly viewable until approved by an EMHERF moderator.

General comments (e.g. usability of comments facility) may be provided by contacting the project team at emherf@yorkat.co.uk

*The Research Agenda and Strategy will have a bespoke comment and question facility (forthcoming) which will allow the research framework to develop over time and remain relevant. Additional information on the structure and use of this facility will be provided as it becomes available.

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