What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to explore how adapting to open-source software can improve archaeological field documentation.

March 28, 2026Open Access

Crossing software boundaries: From iDig and ODK to QField for archaeological field documentation

Key Points

The aim is to explore how adapting to open-source software can improve archaeological field documentation.
Analyzed two case studies of archaeological teams transitioning to new software.
Evaluated the performance of open-source GIS technologies compared to previous systems.
Assessed team adaptability and its impact on documentation practices.
Teams reported improved efficiency in field documentation processes.
Adaptability to new software was crucial for long-term performance enhancement.
No single software was found to guarantee success without team readiness.

Abstract

This article presents two case studies in which archaeological teams transitioned to open-source software that natively supports GIS technologies, replacing previously closed or limited digital frameworks. The purpose of the article is to highlight that the long-term improvement of performance in archaeological field documentation is not tied to any single software, but depends mainly on the team’s ability to transition and adapt to new digital environments.

Connected Papers

Building similarity graph...

Analyzing shared references across papers

Discussion

Authors

Kyriakos Sgouropoulos

Periklis Chrysafakoglou

Ilias Ladenis

Actions

Institutions

Democritus University of Thrace

References and Citations

Connected Papers

Building similarity graph...

Analyzing shared references across papers

Crossing software boundaries: From iDig and ODK to QField for archaeological field documentation

Key Points

Abstract

Citation Network

Connected Papers

Discussion

Authors

Actions

Institutions

References and Citations

Citation Network

Connected Papers

Discussion

Cite this study

Also consider