Increasing quality and reproducibility in the archaeological sciences with the Archaeological Science Toolbox in R “ASTR”

• Applicant: Thomas Rose, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Prehistory and World Archaeology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 571205551

Research Software, especially open source script-based research software, plays a crucial part in the research process and for the full implementation of the Open Science Principles because it enables reproducibility and transparency of e.g. data treatment processes. However, the uptake of such software is limited by the steep learning curve of the programming languages or the absence of software libraries providing an easy-to-use solution tailor-cut to the needs of the respective community. This holds particularly true for disciplines in which programming skills are not the norm. Another challenge is the longevity and sustainability of such software. Archaeology and the archaeological sciences are no exception. To address these challenges and ensure the maintenance of such software, the envisioned project aims to kick-start the community-driven development of an R package through a workshop and accompanying pre- and post-workshop activities. This is followed by case studies on already published data to demonstrate how the R package helps to increase reproducibility of interpretations derived from data through e.g., statistics. The case studies will also help to derive general guidelines and recommendations on how reproducibility can be increased in the archaeological sciences. At the same time, they will allow to fine-tune the package functions in real-world conditions. As nucleus for this process, the lead isotope community was chosen because it represents the complexities and methods used in the inorganic archaeological sciences. The workshop brings together community members with R experts from closely-related disciplines. The participants will receive training in basic software development workflows before turning existing scripts into publishable code or write new functions during the workshop. The diversity of the participants ensures that functions are usable by users with little to no programming skills and are close to the needs of the community while being open enough to remain adaptable in other contexts. Post-workshop activities will disseminate the outcomes of the workshop and prepare the package’s sustainability and future development such as widening its scope to include additional methods and disciplines.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants