ABSTRACT
Many good consultants will incorporate academic research questions into their commercially-oriented investigations, while academic research can have important implications for applied heritage management work. Furthermore, the processes of designing both commercial and academic research projects have many similarities. Inspiration for new research projects can come from many different sources, but turning this idea into a good research design will only come from in-depth. A research design maps out the logic of our proposed research project, for both our benefit and the benefit of others, and often takes the form of research proposal. Desktop research is an essential preliminary element of our literature review, but is also fundamental to the wider research necessary to complete our research project. Archaeological datasets collected by others are one of the most important sources of data to consider for our project. These might include varied things such as site cards held by government agency, unpublished reports, site plans and photographs, or collections of archaeological material.
