Public User Needs Survey 2 (PUNS2)

Leah Hewerdine (CBA)
The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) carried out The Publication of Archaeological Projects: a user needs survey (PUNS), a study of the archaeological community’s use and expectations of fieldwork publications in 2001 (Jones et al). PUNS explored the needs of the archaeological community regarding formal and standard archaeological outputs. Twenty years later, PUNS2 aims to build on the original PUNS project by examining the wide range of forms of dissemination that are available today, through both digital and non-digital methods, and targeting a broader range of audiences. Data gathered for PUNS2, through surveys, workshops, and interviews with a variety of audiences will contribute towards an evidence-based framework for improving the sharing of archaeological outputs and provide recommendations and guidance for creators of archaeological content. This paper will discuss PUNS2 in more depth and reflect on the recent findings from the initial stages of the project.