The article, co-authored by Andres Dobat, Pieterjan Deckers, Stijn Heeren, Michael Lewis, Suzie Thomas and Anna Wessman, was recently published in European Journal of Archaeology and the final version is available free access until 6 March.
There is also a blog post on the publisher Cambridge Core's blog, with even more information. The abstract is as follows:
Hobby metal detecting is a controversial subject. Legal and policy approaches differ widely across national and regional contexts, and the attitudes of archaeologists and heritage professionals towards detectorists are often polarized and based on ethical or emotive arguments. We, the European Public Finds Recording Network (EPFRN), have implemented collaborative approaches towards detectorist communities in our respective contexts (Denmark, England and Wales, Finland, Flanders, and the Netherlands). Although our motivations are affected by our national circumstances, we base our work on an agreed set of goals, practices, and visions. This article presents the EPFRN's vision statement and provides insight into its underlying thoughts. We hope to create a debate on how to develop best practice approaches that acknowledge the inherent challenges of hobby metal detecting while realizing its potential.
The article also forms the basis for a roundtable discussion at the EAA annual meeting in Budapest in August.
Citation information: Dobat, A., Deckers, P., Heeren, S., Lewis, M., Thomas, S., & Wessman, A. (n.d.). Towards a Cooperative Approach to Hobby Metal Detecting: The European Public Finds Recording Network (EPFRN) Vision Statement. European Journal of Archaeology, 1-21. doi:10.1017/eaa.2020.1