Frameworks for narratives: towards interoperability for 3D and other media

Presentation by Kate Fernie and Henk Alkemade (CARARE) at the Euroean Archaeologists Association (EAA) conference 2024 as part of a session 'Making Connections: Towards Archaeological Narratives in Contemporary Society'.

Creating narratives using digital technology involves combining digital media (text, images, video, audio and 3D) to create a resource centred around a historical event or an experience. The resource itself does not need to be a highly sophisticated media presentation; a slideshow can provide the framework for an effective digital story. But the process of creating narratives underlines the importance of digital media being FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable).

Today we are in the midst of a drive towards digitisation. In terms of cultural heritage, the European Commission has recommended that all monuments at risk of deterioration or destruction, or which are highly visited should be digitised in 3D. The aim is that, as well as being used by institutions to record and manage archaeological monuments or for outreach, the data be made available in the common European data space for cultural heritage (the data space). This paper will discuss the standards, practices and strategies which support interoperability and which enable FAIR reuse of the data.

CARARE is an accredited aggregator for Europeana and has had a huge impact in contributing a rich diversity of content about the archaeological and architectural heritage including 3D content to the data space. We offer advice and support to organisations and projects who wish to deliver high-quality digital content to the data space, and a member of the expert working group on 3D content in the data space. This work includes looking at the metadata needed for digital media to be Findable; best practices in terms of copyright and access licences to enable Reuse; and the standards for file formats and viewers for 3D media to be Accessible. This focus on Interoperability between 3D and other media types enables their re-use in digital story-telling and narratives.

1. Ponte Molle bij Rome - 1821 - Rijksmuseum, Netherlands

2. About us! CARARE has been working with heritage organisations and archaeologists across Europe since 2010 offering support and practical assistance in sharing datasets with Europeana We are a non-profit membership association aiming to advance professional practice and foster appreciation of the digital archaeological and architectural heritage Our members include heritage bodies, universities, research organisations, specialist digital archives, NGOs, charities, private companies and individual specialist and experts. We participate in several EC funded projects. https://www.carare.eu Contact: [email protected] Twitter: @projectCARARE Training hub: https://www.carare.eu/en/training/ Webinars on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user124611809

3. Introduction Digital technology offers a vibrant platform for sharing stories, which integrate a range of media to create rich, immersive experiences. In this paper we look at the frameworks and standards that allow for FAIR re-use of data in narratives.

4. Modern landscapes only reveal a small part of what was originally there to visitors Image credit: Open Virtual Worlds, University of St Andrews

5. Bringing a site to life in a virtual reconstruction Ename 1665 - the timber harbour, Visual Dimension - https://youtu.be/HGd3LUrqNyI  

6. Puutavaran kuljetus moottorikelkalla , The Finnish Forest Museum, CC BY. https:// www.europeana.eu /item/2021008/_knp_152987 Creating a narrative To create a story, you need: Reliable sources Plans, drawings Archives Museum objects Points of interest Links between elements in the story and to resources

7. Digging for data https://open-science-training- handbook.github.io /Open-Science-Training- Handbook_EN / You need to be able to find good reliable sources and know whether you can use them in your project.

8. Unlocking data for re-use Finding data to use in projects can be hard Standards, metadata and access licenses all help This is where the FAIR principles come in! Metal Key, Northern Heritage Network, CCO - https:// www.europeana.eu / en /item/181/share3d_972

9. Findability Metadata allows users to find content by searching a variety of keywords, dates, subjects, creators, etc. Persistent identifiers mean that the content can be cited and found again by future users If you are the content creator, sharing your metadata with portals like Europeana increases its findability Finding good CH content (online) depends on good quality metadata:

10. Accessibility Once users have found your data it needs to be accessible. This has two aspects, the first is where the data is deposited and how it can be retrieved. 10 Image: European Data Journalism Network If a user must phone a curator or librarian to ask for access to the data, it is not accessible. FAIR data does not have to be fully open or free, but it should be easy to find out how to access and use the data. One way of making sure your data will remain accessible is by depositing in a Trusted Digital Repository.

11. Interoperability A single virtual reconstruction may reuse several data files (3D shapes, 2D images, documents, sound files) and will create new data files. For interoperability the focus is file formats and on documentation: To allow others (including future members of your team) to open and re-use the data in future Being able to connect 3D with other data Metadata

12. Reusability Rights statements are an important aspect of re-usability as they provide information about whether and how someone can re-use the object. Standardised rights statements (e.g. Creative Commons or RightsStatements.org ) give the information in clear and simple language and are machine readable.

13. You’ve created a digital narrative… what next?

14. At the end of your project The University Research Institute for Iberian Archaeology educational event The FAIR principles apply, this means…

15. FAIR data in action Depositing your dataset and its documentation with a digital archive at the end of the project Publishing the virtual reconstruction on a hosting platform Ideally one which can render your 3D model in a viewer Providing good quality metadata Licensing the data for reuse Sharing the metadata with discovery portals

16. Metadata example Share3D dashboard Follows metadata standards Uses Linked Open Data Exports metadata for inclusion in Europeana.eu

17. Frameworks for narratives We began by noting how important digital technology has become as a platform for sharing stories and rich, immersive experiences. Our story today has mainly been about how following the FAIR principles allows creatives and researchers to find and re-use authentic cultural heritage content in their narratives. We end with a reminder that by applying the FAIR principles to your own work, you create possibilities for new and exciting narratives in future. Image credit: the Hunt Museum

18. Thank you! Kate Fernie [email protected] Henk Alkemade [email protected] Website: https://www.carare.eu Contact: [email protected] Twitter:@ projectCARARE Training Hub: https://www.carare.eu/en/training/ Webinars on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user124611809