Page 283 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

be accurate and comprehensive, including precise titles and references to the relevant find numbers and diary entries. Scales should be indicated, and axes in graphs should be well-explained. Copyrights need to be indicated, and whether use of material is restricted or not.
Analysis and interpretation of the results need to explain the significance of the site, the artefacts and the conclusions that can be drawn. They need to identify important issues and suggest explanations for the findings. Any problems encountered shall be outlined and an attempt shall be made to present a balanced view. An evaluation of the investigation in view of its objectives should follow. This evaluation should include a discussion of how well the needs dictated by the planning process were served. The analysis should also illustrate the significance of the findings for the archaeological discipline and the general public. At the end of the analysis, the main issues should be drawn together. All new factual information should have been presented earlier in the report. Possible future research can be briefly discussed.
Conclusions and recommendations
The analytical chapters on interpretation that have been discussed under the general heading of Results and findings will all include partial or far-reaching conclusions. At the end of a report, however, the conclusions should be combined and reiterated. It is useful to always combine this with recommendations. Such recommendations can include lessons learned on appropriate or failing methodology or equipment. They can address scientific questions that urgently need to be settled and they can and should include practical recommendations on the ongoing management of the site, the project archive and the collection of artefacts and samples that it may include.
In undertaking archaeological research, researchers assume responsibility for the preservation, curation and condition of a site and of any objects they remove. It should be remembered that preservation and securing actions should be planned with a view
282 to the long-term, allowing research, understanding
Reporting