There are a number of ways to examine and manipulate data in ARK. It is important to note that the system is still under development at this stage. These tools will be changing in the coming months as we work toward a more stable release of the database, but the basic tenets of Data View, Micro View, and Map View will remain the same.

Data View

The Data View is used to examine large groups of data using a series of searches, or ‘filters’. Data can be filtered in a number of ways using the Data Toolbox:

• By free text, such as searching for the term ‘opus sectile’ in all records.
• By item, such as specific record type such as SU, site photo, plan, object, etc.
• By attribute, such as a specific find type assigned to an SU in the materials inventory, or all records assigned the ‘Record Complete’ attribute during data entry.

Many filters can be combined to reduce the volume of results. For example a first search can be completed by item for all SUs, and then a second filter isolating only HRUs, and a third filter to find only those HRUs that have been marked ‘Excavated’. Each filter can be deleted separately, producing different results. In the above example, the filter for HRUs could be deleted and the search re-run (using the Rerun All option in the top of the Data Toolbox). This would produce all SUs marked ‘Excavated’ but would not limit the results to only type HRU.

Filter results can be displayed as a table with a link to the micro view of each record, as a ‘chat’ outlining a few key details for each result, or as highlighted points in a map.

A certain combination of filters can be saved in the user account to prevent re-running the same searches again and again. Should a search be particularly important, it can also be made public so all users of ARK can see the same search results at log in. This is particularly useful when assigning periods or phases to records.

To erase the results of a given set of filters and start again, simply use the ‘Clear All’ button in the Data Toolbox to clear the results and start fresh.

Micro View

The Micro View is used for looking at a single record in ARK. It is important to understand that the micro view also displays records that are in some way linked in the database. For example, going to the record for SSU 1050 will also display any site photos of the SSU, any plans of the SSU, and any other information that may be stored in different modules within ARK.

For some types of record, such as SUs, the micro view can be very complex and include many different types of data. For other types of record, such as site photos, the micro view is very simple and displays only a given photo and the related description.

For more complex micro views, different types of information are stored in different boxes on the screen. There are a number of ways changing the display. In the upper right corner of each box there are a set of navigational tools to move the box into the centre of the screen, to move the box up or down, or to minimise each box. Some items, such as pictures, can be clicked to open the display in a new viewer. As the form of ARK is still under development, the best way to learn to use the micro view is to play around with existing records.

Map View

The Map View is used for displaying spatial data in ARK. This can include search results, associated data (historic mapping, fieldwalking, topographic survey, magnetometry), or simply the SUs, SSUs, and HRUs in a given area. Layers in the map can be turned on or off to facilitate the spatial visualisation of the data. Simple navigation tools are included to allow for fixed zoom in/out, panning, and a targeted zoom.

The functionality of the map viewer is still in development and will be expanded in later versions of ARK. Future plans include allowing each user to create specialised map layers based on search results, aiding the user to meaningfully display spatial data.