Expedition Reports

Nick Williams

No report = Holiday

  1. Scale
    1. Be reasonable: page in Caves and Caving plus a talk at BCRA might be sufficient.
    2. Be realistic: No point in an epic if it never gets finished. Aim for publication 12 months max. after Expedition.
    3. Reports can be expensive
      1. Budget in advance
      2. Remember to allow for postage

  2. What should go in it: think of who will read it.
    1. Others (and self) wanting to go back
      1. Record of caves found including location information
    2. Expedition members
      1. List of who went and when
    3. Others planning trips to other areas
      1. Techniques and logistical information
    4. Sponsors (supplies and equipment)
      1. Pictures
      2. Performance reports
    5. Sponsors (financial)
      1. Accounts
    6. Friends and relations
      1. Description of country and what it is like to be there.
      2. Acknowledgements
    7. Bibliographers
      1. Publication date and publisher
      2. Permanent contact address (e.g. club hut).
      3. ISBN (contact Whittaker's)
    8. Locals in host country
      1. Directly relevant results
      2. Research results (explain will be seperate if take a long time)
      3. Acknowledgements

  3. What should not go in it
    1. Nobody's interested in your piss-ups
    2. Nobody's interested in your in jokes
    3. Be diplomatic about sponsors' kit even if it isn't any good
    4. Publish an alternative report for these things

  4. How to produce it
    1. Small scale
      1. Send A4 page to GPF at the least - legal obligation for GPF funded trips.
      2. If not a GPF trip send page to BCRA library or Foreign Secretary
      3. Article in Caves and Caving/Descent/International Caver
      4. Article in Club Journal (but must be widely circulated)
      5. Internet
    2. Simple mono DTP
      1. Staple or slide binding
      2. Photocopy easily as required
      3. Get photo's properly scanned
      4. Colour photocopies are cheap and effective
    3. Multi-page multi-colour
      1. Talk to a printer early
      2. Colour is expensive
      3. Reduce costs by using colour all in one place (e.g on cover)
      4. Don't have to use four colours all the time: black plus another colour very effective
      5. Photographs are expensive to scan, so make up montage in dark room and only have one page scanned.
    4. Don't do too many copies (suggest 500 max).

  5. What to do with the copies
    1. Expedition members
    2. Expedition sponsors and helpers
    3. BCRA Library - two copies please (one for CTS)
    4. Host country: big impact - send lots
    5. Copyright libraries in London (Boston Spa), Oxford, Cambridge, etc. They will ask for copies and you must send them.
    6. Keep some spares: enough for 10 years or so
    7. Can sell via shops etc. but not a big money spinner

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