Page 276 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

 © Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service. Report entitled Chinese export porcelain from the wreck of the Sydney Cove, published by the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology.
This is an example of a report that focuses on a specific aspect of the excavation project and informs the scientific community and the interested public of the outcomes of the research project. The complete documentation
of the research project has been compiled into a report of 15 hard cover volumes. In 2009, a book edition was published.
Wrecked in 1797 while on a journey from Calcutta to Port Jackson, the Sydney Cove was the first merchant vessel lost after the establishment of the colony of New South Wales. Since its rediscovery in Tasmanian waters by divers in 1977, the Sydney Cove site has been the subject of an extensive research project. While the Sydney Cove was a relatively small trading vessel of around 250 tons, carrying cargo composed primarily of alcohol, foodstuffs, textiles, luxury goods and livestock, the archaeological and historical significance of the wreck is considerable.
detailed interim and special reports as soon as possible and in advance of the final report.
The final report builds on all interim reports and contains an analytical summary and interpretation of the results.
Reports may vary in their purpose. There is, for instance, a difference between project reports informing the local community and financial reports. It follows that reports target different audiences, such as the scientific community, funding sources, authorities, or the general public. All reports, however, require a formal structure and careful planning. They should present their subject matter in a logical manner using clear and concise language. The manner of
reporting, required content, and time schedule needs to be set out in the initial project design. It is important to remember that the process of data collection is shorter than the time needed for analysis. This problem can be overcome by allowing for reporting to take place in several stages. But reporting should be consistent throughout all stages of the process, and conducted in a way that is comprehensible for future users.
Results of underwater archaeological projects must be made available to the full range of potential users. Reports should therefore be elaborated and published within the shortest delay possible, following the completion of activities. Upon their completion, they must be submitted for archiving by the public institution indicated in the project design. Depositing of reports in a timely manner guarantees accessibility to important information and thereby allows for adequate future research to be carried out on the site in question. It is not for the archive only, however, that reports are produced. In addition, information can be publicized through a variety of means. These include publication of results in monographs and professional journals, and distribution of the report to libraries and technical clearinghouses. Reports can also be made available through the internet.
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Reporting