A Collaborative Model for Lithic Shape Digitization in Museum Settings

Testing inter-observer error under a collaborative research framework for studying lithic shape variability

“…1 ), and a replica copy of the assemblage was sent to researchers at six independent institutions (Table 1 ). Data collection protocols, outlined in detail by Timbrell ( 2022 ) and described in Supplementary Online Resource S1 , were developed to standardize the documentation of lithic shapes through photography and measurements. These procedures were followed by all observers across the study to produce equivalent data.…”

“…1), and a replica copy of the assemblage was sent to researchers at six independent institutions (Table 1). Data collection protocols, outlined in detail by Timbrell (2022) and described in Supplementary Online Resource S1, were developed The resulting 3D prints once removed from the supports are cleaned using ethanol. 3D printing was carried out by LT and CS Table 1 Summary of the observers and the photography equipment used.…”

“…Such error has multiple potential sources, can be introduced at various stages in the workflow, and can skew results by obscuring any “real” signals in the data (Fruciano 2016 ); examining the magnitude of inter-observer error is therefore imperative to validate whether meta-analyses are robust. International researchers are increasingly being encouraged to work collaboratively in order to remotely produce archaeological and anthropological datasets (Chang and Alfaro 2015 ; O’Leary and Kaufman 2011 ; Scerri et al 2020 ; Timbrell 2020 , 2022 )—in some case even crowdsourcing morphometric data (Chang and Alfaro 2015 ). However, it is frequently impossible for observers to converge on the same material to record repeat trials for an inter-observer repeatability assessment.…”

“…Such control tests therefore need to be appropriate for the specific research design, and customized solutions for evaluating error under collaborative research frameworks should be developed (Fruciano 2016 ). Here, we present an innovative analysis of inter-observer error involving the compilation of standardized photographs and measurements of lithics from multiple observers for metric and GMM analysis (Timbrell 2022 ).…”

“…Global catastrophes, such as pandemics, climate change and conflict, can also temporarily delay international research through the constraints imposed on travel and safety, requiring researchers to develop scientifically sound remote models of data generation (Scerri et al 2020). Timbrell (2022) presents such a framework, which involves the documentation of lithic shape by multiple collaborators. These types of approaches have additional benefits for decreasing the carbon footprint associated with accessing multiple international samples and fostering knowledge-sharing through dual project development and the division of responsibilities so that both foreign and local researchers take on principal roles within a given project, which is particularly crucial across the Global North-South divide (Chirikure 2015;Douglass et al 2020;Else, 2022).…”