This page provides some Frequently Asked Questions on the AHRC Technical Appendix

What is the Technical Appendix?

Application forms for certain AHRC research schemes (such as the Resource Enhancement, Research Grant and Fellowships in the Creative and Performing Arts) include a Technical Appendix.

Applicants planning to create a digital resource are required to complete a Technical Appendix to demonstrate that their project has or will have the necessary knowledge to implement the technical aspects of a project. While the crucial part of any application is its intellectual content, an application that does not pay sufficient attention to the Technical Appendix is likely to hinder significantly the chances of receiving funding.

Do I have to write a Technical Appendix?

According to AHRC guidelines, an Appendix should be completed "if the applicant is proposing to produce datasets of texts, images or other digital formats; databases; software and interactive websites; electronic catalogues, films and recordings." In practice, this includes most types of digital resource. There are some exceptions for minor digital resources (websites that only give information about the project, but do not deliver any digitised materials), but before deciding not to complete a Technical Appendix, it is worth contacting the relevant AHDS Centre to clarify each individual case. If you are unsure who to contact, please contact the AHDS Executive

How long should the Technical Appendix be?

The AHRC is now implementing electronic submissions and, with the J-eS submission website, there is a character limit on each section of the Technical Appendix. The lengths of the limits are advertised on the website responsible for handling electronic submissions. However, additional relevant information may be attached. This may include graphical information, such as Gantt charts, or additional text where character limits on the form do not allow the inclusion of sufficient information. For any questions related to the use of electronic submission, applicants should contact the Joint Electronic Submission Helpdesk (JeSHelp AT rcuk.ac.uk. There are specific details on character limits in the technical appendix on the J-eS website.

The word limit in the je-s system is too short. Can I provide additional graphics or supplementary information?

If, in your view, the word limits or formatting restrictions for any one section do not allow you to include sufficient information, graphical information (Gantt charts, etc.) and additional textual information may be included as an attachment to the proposal. Please use the attachment type 'Technical Appendix' and indicate within the text of the Technical Appendix section that you have attached additional information.

What additional help is there?

The AHDS provides numerous helpful documents on its website and runs regular workshops for those creating digital data. The AHDS is also happy to read (but not write) technical appendices prior to submission. To ensure a full response these should be forwarded to the relevant AHDS Centre four to six weeks before the final submission date.

Contact details for the AHDS advice team are available here.

Should I put details on project management in the main part of the application or in the Technical Appendix?

The main part of their application should deal with project management in its widest sense, including the many non-technical aspects of a research programme or project, for example how research trips, conferences and print publications will be organised and managed.

The Technical Appendix, on the other hand, concentrates only on the implementation of the technical part of the project.

However, there may well be overlap between the two. In such cases it is permissible to have a smaller project management section that refers back to the main application. However, applicants should be careful not to leave this part of the Technical Appendix blank. The assessors of the Technical Appendix will concentrate on the appendix first, and a lack of information could jeopardise the possibility of a successful application.

What exactly is a sustainable resource?

'Sustainable' has two overlapping meanings within this context. Technical sustainability of a resource is achieved through the use of recommended formats, good documentation and a suitable preservation strategy; formats and documentation are dealt with in Section 2 of the Appendix; the preservation aspect is dealt with in sections 4a and 4b.

Operational sustainability deals with the how a resource will continue to be run and managed once the initial funding has ended. While it is not obligatory (and indeed may not be necessary) to have a sustainability plan, awareness of how a resource, particularly larger ones, may be continued in the long-term will help the quality of a Technical Appendix.

All successful applicants are obliged to offer a copy of their resource to the AHDS. Depositing a resource with the AHDS is an excellent way of ensuring a level of technical and operational sustainability.

How can I make my resource accessible?

A project's data (e.g. dataset, text, collection of images) can be deposited with the AHDS and the AHDS will make that collection part of its digital archive and therefore accessible via the AHDS website. The data can then be publicly searched along with all the other resources collected by the AHDS.

Projects may also wish to develop their own project websites to make a resource accessible. This could involve adding specific search mechanisms or using particular technologies to deliver their digitised material. The development of such websites should be referred to in Section 5 of the Appendix. Applicants should use this opportunity to indicate that the website will be 'accessible' in a more precise sense - ie that by the use of web standards the website will be usable by different users using different types of Internet browsers. The AHDS has written an Information Paper on Building Arts and Humanities Websites, which deals with this issues in greater depth.

Applicants should note that while the AHDS preserves the underlying data it does not currently preserve such website interfaces.

In a small number of circumstances, it will not be feasible for applicants to disseminate their resource via the AHDS. In this case, it is possible to discuss other options for deposit with the AHDS such as the preservation-only option, where the AHDS retains a copy but does not make it available to others.

In some very particular cases (such as the development of software), it will not be necessary to deposit a copy of the resource. In such instances, applicants should fill out the Waiver of Deposit form, available via the AHDS Depositing Resources pages.

I'm not able to clear all Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) / Data Protection issues prior to submission. Does this rule me out?

Applicants can apply for funding for digitisation even if not all copyright or data protection issues have been cleared. However, the Technical Appendix must demonstrate that plans are in place to deal with IPR / data protection during the lifetime of the project and that these plans are likely to be executed successfully.

Applicants should note that depositing a resource with the AHDS does not entail handing over the copyright of that resource to the AHDS or the AHRC.

I'm applying for a second tranche of funding. Do I need to write another Technical Appendix?

Yes. It is advisable that the successful points of the first part of the project are highlighted in the Technical Appendix.

I am experienced in data creation and have already had several discussions with the AHDS. Do I need to write a Technical Appendix?

Applicants cannot assume that assessors of the Technical Appendix will be automatically aware of other work by the applicant. Even if an applicant has good experience of digitisation work, this needs to be demonstrated within the Technical Appendix.

I know little about the digital aspect of the application and will be outsourcing the digital work to an outside company. Do I still need to write a Technical Appendix?

The Technical Appendix still needs to be written. Indeed, any applicant in such a position should ensure they have a satisfactory grasp of the technical aspects of the project. This will allow them to communicate their aims to the outside company and that during the lifetime of the project they will be able to verify that the digital work is being done to the required standards.

Please email the AHDS if your question is not listed above.

Page last modified: 16th December 2005 by Alastair Dunning
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